The Insiders
by CamRox2010
Summary: C is a greaser girl that's been friends with the gang for a year and a half. She's got the whole group that she considers close enough to be family. Unfortunately, she's got a whole other bunch of people that don't like her so much. And she's having a hard time convincing herself that she's not in love with someone from the gang who's close enough to be her brother.
1. Chapter 1

**(****_A/N: So hey. Um. We just read The Outsiders in school, and as usual, I have gone overboard with my obsessions. So, here's a fanfiction I wrote. And don't worry, I'm still writing my Ben 10 fanfiction. I literally have like three different documents opened and I'm typing three different things. But I put myself into another one of these, because it would be really cool to be a character. So, yeah! I hope you like it, and please don't hate me if it's awful! Thank you!)_**

**Chapter One**

I felt a nervous, jumpy feeling in my stomach as I cautiously walked to the park. It was already dark outside, and I was walking alone. This was just great.

You see, I'm a greaser. I live on the east side of town, like all greasers do. Greasers are poorer than the middle class. We don't have a lot of nice things, unlike the Socs.

The Socs. Short for the Socials, the Socs are the preppy rich kids. Everybody loves them, except for the greasers, who know what they're really like inside.

The Socs love to jump greasers. I don't know why, it's just a known fact. I guess it's because they look down on us like we're dirt, or maybe it's just because they can. I don't think I'll ever know for sure. All I know is that it's not fun to get jumped. I can't tell you from experience, but a few of my close friends have gotten jumped a few times.

I hoped the Socs wouldn't be low enough to jump a defenseless fifteen year old girl, but they might, you never know.

I didn't exactly want to find out.

What was a defenseless fifteen year old girl doing walking to the park at night for, you ask? I've got two words to answer that: my boyfriend.

I don't really like to think of him as that, however. He's abusive. I'm not sure what I ever did to him, but he just loves to torture me. And I couldn't tell anyone about it, or he'd probably kill me. I especially couldn't tell my best friends, who probably care about me more than he does.

But that's why I was walking to the park at night.

Fortunately, I made it to the park without getting jumped by any drunken Socs. My boyfriend was waiting for me on a park bench.

"Hey, baby," he said as I approached him.

"Hi, Luke," I nearly whispered back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Not that he actually cared or anything like that.

"Nothing," I managed a small smile. Luke wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me down on the bench next to him.

"You're an awful liar," he whispered, smirking.

My heart sped up. I didn't want him to hurt me for lying to him. He was six foot one, and he wasn't even done growing yet. He was only seventeen. He also plays football and has been in plenty of rumbles with the Socs. And, of course, he abuses me frequently.

I shivered as a cold wind blew by, and Luke pulled me closer, whispering in my ear.

"Don't lie to me, babe, what's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it again. I couldn't tell him what was wrong, because he was half the problem.

He slapped me across the face, leaving my cheek stinging. "When I tell you to do something, you do it. Understand?"

I knew I wouldn't be able to talk, so I just nodded.

"Good girl," he wrapped his arm around my waist. I sighed quietly.

"So?" Luke continued.

"So…what?" I asked cautiously.

"You know what. Don't play dumb." He squeezed my waist so tight it hurt. I took a few deep, calming breaths before responding.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Luke. I'm perfectly fine."

He obviously didn't like this response. He dropped his arm from around me, grabbed my hand hard, and dragged me away from the bench.

"Where are we going?" I asked shakily.

"Shut up."

I obeyed.

We approached a grocery store. What were we doing at a grocery store? He pulled me around the side of the building and pushed me up against the rough bricks.

"Luke…"

"I told you to be quiet."

"But…"

He smacked me again, so I just stopped talking. He pushed me closer to the wall and started whispering in my ear again.

"You listen to me, sweetheart. When I tell you something, you do it. I don't need to hear your crap. Just shut it. Understood?"

I nodded, struggling to get away from Luke's grip. He was hurting me, but I bet he liked that.

Actually, I was 99.99% sure he loved it.

Struggling was no use though; I could barely move my arms with the grip he had on them. He leaned against me, pushing me into the wall more.

"You're not going anywhere."

I sighed shakily, and he laughed at my discomfort. "You'd better learn to behave, or else…" He punched me in the stomach. Not needed. It really hurt, but I tried not to show it. He had to let go of me to punch me, so I made a run for it.

That idea was quickly abandoned as he grabbed my waist from behind and threw me back into the brick wall. I felt pain everywhere in my upper body.

"You're staying here."

A blue mustang turned the corner, and Luke's blue eyes opened wide.

"Gotta bail," he told me, kissing my bruised cheek. "See ya later, babe."

I didn't respond as I started walking home. My whole body ached, and I just desperately wanted to tell someone about this.

_He had slapped me for the first time. My eyes filled with tears and I started to run before he caught my wrist. He pulled me into his chest and whispered into my hair._

_ "If you tell anyone about this, I will kill them, and I will hurt you so bad that you are gonna wish you were dead. Understand?"_

_ I had simply nodded. What else could I do?_

I remembered his words and decided against telling someone. I was thinking about this almost the whole time I was walking home, and I didn't notice when the blue mustang pulled up at the curb behind me.

"Hey, greaser!" One of the Socs called, obviously drunk.

"Darn it," I muttered. This was not a good time.

But there is never a good time to get jumped by a Soc, and I drunk one is even worse. My friend Johnny told me that fighting doesn't accomplish anything. And when I thought about it, that fact was true. When the Socs and greasers had their rumbles, even when the greasers won, we were still below them on the social scale. We still got jumped, and we still got made fun of for being greasers.

Three of the five Socs in the car got out. Crap, this wasn't good. I started to take off towards my street, but the tallest one grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"What's up, grease?" He laughed. His friends laughed with him.

_"They are so drunk,"_ I thought. I couldn't help being terrified. My friends have dealt with drunken Socs before, and it didn't turn out well…

The tall Soc pushed me against the street lamp. I ducked under him and started to run when one of his friends caught me. I struggled, but I was still weak from my little meeting with Luke. I wasn't able to get out of his grip, so I was helpless. The tall Soc approached me slowly, smiling. But not a friendly smile. A smile that sent shivers down my spine.

"Let her go!" I heard a familiar voice from the dark, and I instantly knew who it was.

"Soda!" I cried.

Sodapop Curtis (yes, Sodapop is his real name) was one of my best friends. Well, pretty much the whole gang was my best friends, and I loved them like brothers. Soda was sixteen and the most understanding of the group. He was happy-go-lucky, and he was always there to give advice or fix a problem.

Another guy also came out from the shadows. I could tell that it was Darry (short for Darrel) Curtis, Soda's older brother. He was twenty. He was kinda touch on the gang, but that was only because he cares about our futures. He chose not to go to college to make sure that his two younger brothers don't have to do what he did. Darry was forced to grow up at the age of twenty, and he was the father figure of the gang.

They tackled the three Socs and the preppy, drunken idiots ran back to their mustang and drove off.

Sodapop ran over to me and hugged me. "You okay, C?"

I smiled at the nickname Soda made up for me. It started out with only him and his younger brother, Ponyboy (again, Ponyboy is his real name), calling me that, but it caught on, and now it was my official nickname with the gang. Everyone else called me Corrin, which was my full name.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Those Socs are gonna get it if they come back on _our_ turf!" Soda shouted.

"Calm down, Little Buddy," Darry laughed.

"What happened?" Another voice called. That was Ponyboy, the youngest Curtis brother. I actually thought of him as _my_ younger brother, too. He was only fourteen, but he's already had his share of trouble. He and his best friend, Johnny Cade, who was sixteen, had gotten jumped by a few Socs who happened to be drunk a few months ago. Johnny was forced to kill one of them, Bob Sheldon, out of self-defense. Johnny and Pony hid in an abandoned church to hide from the fuzz, and they accidentally set it on fire. Some little kids got stuck in there, and Johnny risked his life to safe them. The church pretty much fell on top of him, and there was a time where he wasn't expected to live. But thank God he survived, and without a lot of therapy, he was able to walk again, too.

"Everything's fine," I reassured him at the same time Sodapop said, "C got jumped."

Darry and I glared at Soda, who just shrugged. "He has a right to know," he defended himself.

Pony looked worried as he hugged me. "Did they hurt you?" I shook my head, but he pulled away to look at me. "What's with the big bruise on your cheek then?"

My hand flew to my cheek and it hurt when I touched it. "Damn," I whispered.

Soda looked at the bruise. "The Socs did that?"

I stayed silent. No, the Socs didn't do that. Luke did. But I couldn't tell them that. I sighed. "Look, guys, I'm tired. Can I just go home?"

Darry nodded. "You know the door's unlocked if you need anything."

I nodded. They never locked their door in case someone from the gang needed a place to crash.

"Thank you guys so much," I told them, starting to walk to my house. I lived next door to them.

"No problem," Sodapop called, smiling as usual. Darry and Pony nodded in agreement.

When I reached my house, the lights were off and the door was locked. When I rang the doorbell, nobody answered. Big surprise. Not. My family didn't really like me that much. But I didn't mind. I had the whole gang to hang out with, and they showed me better family love than my actual family does. I sighed and spun around, heading towards the Curtis house.

When I walked in the door, Sodapop looked at me.

"Nobody's home," I explained.

He nodded and smiled. "Make yourself at home."

Johnny was over, too. I assumed that his parents were fighting again and he didn't want to deal with it. I didn't blame him.

"Hey, Johnny," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Hey," he said, looking over at me. "How're ya doing?"

I shrugged. "I'm good. How're you?"

He shrugged too. "Same as always."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"C, go to sleep! Now!" Soda called from the kitchen.

"It's only eight-thirty, Soda," I whined.

"Corrin, it's been a long day," he said seriously. I sighed, lying down on the couch. When he called me Corrin, he was serious.

"'Night, guys," Soda called out to everyone in the house.

I heard Pony, Darry, and Johnny repeat the same thing back to him.

"Hey, Johnny?" I whispered when Soda had gone to his room.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No…I mean…you just looked upset earlier."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

He muttered "mhm."

"Okay…goodnight."

"'Night."

I stayed awake for two hours just thinking. I was kinda scared that the gang would find out why there really was a bruise on my cheek. They couldn't find out…they just couldn't. I pushed my long brown hair out of my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I finally fell asleep a half an hour later.

**_(A/N: I hope you're loving this story, but I understand if you're not...*sniff sniff*. But anyway, thank you for reading! I'll update soon. Please review!)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_(A/N: Here's chapter two! YAY! Sure. But I've gotten pretty far with this story, just because my friend_**** GinnyCavanaugh-Saunders and Addie have not let me even take a break from this story. They constantly want on update, so I'm at chapter ten right now. I'll update more soon! Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW! Please? Pretty please with a Cherry on top? Like a Cherry Valence? Eh. Just a cherry. Like the fruit. Okay, now I'm rambling on about cherries. Just please review, okay?)**

**Chapter Two**

When I woke up in the morning, I heard voices. I looked over at the other couch, where Johnny looked like he had just woken up.

Three other members of our gang were also here. The first one, who the second he saw that Johnny was awake ran over to him, was Dally (short for Dallas) Winston. Dally was seventeen, and a total hood. He got arrested for the first time at the age of ten years old. He loved to brag about that fact. He smoked (but I was pretty much the only one that didn't, besides Darry), drank, jumped people, and got into fights. He didn't have a great childhood. A few months ago, when Johnny almost died, he completely lost it. He pulled a gun on the fuzz, and they shot back. But luckily, the bullet ended up just missing him and he was put in the slammer for a month. He actually just got out a week ago.

"Hey, Johnny!" Dally cried. Dallas didn't usually look too happy, but he was almost as happy as Soda around Johnny.

"Hey, Dal," Johnny replied groggily.

"Hey, C," Dally said to me.

"Hi, Dal," I responded.

Another person entered the room. He was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt.

"Hi, Two-Bit," I yawned.

"Hi," he grinned at me.

Two-Bit was not his real name. Keith Matthews, who everyone calls Two-Bit because he loved to tell jokes, was a generally happy guy, because he, like Soda, tended to look on the bright side of things. He was also the reason the gang usually ended up watching Mickey Mouse on TV.

I sat up on the couch as Two-Bit sat down to watch his favorite show. Then, I heard a shout from the kitchen. It was Soda chasing his best friend, Steve Randle. Steve was usually over in the morning, and he and Soda usually decided to wake up the whole house with their yelling and tackling each other.

Darry came out from his room to tell the boys to get ready for work. Soda, Steve, and Johnny worked together at the gas station. Soda and Steve had been working at the DX for a while, but Johnny just started about two weeks ago. Johnny only worked on weekends, though, since he still went to school. Steve and Soda usually didn't go on weekends, but they wanted to help Johnny.

When those four left, it was just Ponyboy, Dally, Two-Bit, and I.

"You guys wanna go to a movie tonight?" Dally asked, pulling out a cigarette. "Johnny's coming."

Ponyboy agreed to go, and so did I since I had nothing better to do. Two-Bit couldn't go, and I kind of zoned out on his explanation why.

And I guess I zoned out on a lot more than that, too. Next thing I knew, Dally was rapping on my head with his knuckles. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"What?"

"C'mon, C," Pony said. "We're going to the DX."

"'Kay," I said, pulling on my leather jacket as I hurried to catch up with the guys.

"God," Dally sighed. "You are so out of it sometimes."

"Sorry!" To be honest, I was thinking about Luke. I was still pretty scared that someone would find out about it and end up getting hurt. I tried to get that thought out of my head as I followed Ponyboy.

When we got to the DX, which was the gas station that Soda, Steve, and Johnny worked at, it was almost empty. There were only a few people in there. Steve was sitting in a seat, and Johnny was behind the counter with Soda helping him out.

"Hey, man," Dally said, making the two behind the counter look up.

"Hey, Dal, what's up?" Soda asked.

"We got bored. Now we're here. That's my story," Dal said carelessly.

"Nice story," Johnny smiled.

"What're you so happy about, kid?" Dally grumbled.

"Dallas!" Soda and I scolded simultaneously. Johnny rarely looked happy, and Dally might've brought his mood down.

He ignored us, though. I kinda figured he would. "Seriously, Johnny," he continued. "What's going on?"

"Nothin'," Johnny looked down and blushed. When he looked back up, I followed his line of vision to a girl sitting alone at a seat across the room.

She was really pretty, that's all I could tell. No wonder Johnny liked her. She had long, straight red hair and pretty eyes. I thought I recognized her as a new girl from school. She was a greaser. That much was clear from her blue faded jeans and jean jacket. She was also wearing a white t-shirt and red and white Converse sneakers. I couldn't help but notice she was wearing almost the same outfit that Johnny had been wearing before he changed into his DX shirt.

"Want me to talk to her?" I asked Johnny.

"Oh, no," he said shyly, "you don't have to…"

I giggled. "I'll be right back."

I approached the girl with a smile that I hoped looked friendly. "Hi," I greeted her.

"Hey," she said quietly. Her voice was high-pitched, but not in a bad way. I liked it, actually.

"You look lonely," I noted.

She smiled a little, pushing some red hair from her eyes. "A little bit. I just moved here from New York City last week."

"Welcome to Tulsa, Oklahoma, then! My name's Corrin, but you can call me C."

"Hi, C. My name's Olivia."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thanks," she blushed.

"So, do you wanna meet some of my friends over there?"

"Sure!"

I led her to where the whole gang (except for Darry) was. I went from left the right, giving everyone's name and age.

"Good luck trying to remember all that," Soda laughed.

She remembered everyone's name, and she remembered Johnny's age, too. Everyone else's she got confused with.

"She's got one hell of a memory. Especially since C talks so fast," Dally commented. I didn't think I talked that fast, but I wasn't about to pick a fight with Dallas Winston.

Olivia glanced at her watch and her eyes widened. "Shoot, I'm sorry guys. I told my mom I'd be home twenty minutes ago!"

"See ya later," I said, smiling at her.

"Bye, guys," she said quietly. "Bye, Johnny." And with that, she left the gas station.

Johnny's face lit up, and I noticed a smile on everyone's, even Dally's, face. It wasn't often when Johnny was actually happy. But when he was, I just got this feeling that everything would be alright. Man was I wrong.

Two-Bit and Steve had left, along with Dally, but Pony, Soda, and I were still at the gas station. Soda because he was still helping Johnnycake, and Pony and I cuz we had nothin' better to do. Pony was smoking (which I'm not sure he was supposed to be doing inside the DX, but whatever), and I was just sitting there watching Sodapop get frustrated as he tried to teach Johnny how to use the cash register. I was trying not to giggle, because every time I did, Sodapop would glare at me, which only made me laugh harder.

But when the bell jingled over the door a half an hour later, my happiness was sucked out of me.

Luke was standing next to me before I knew it.

"Hey, beautiful," he kissed the top of my head and put an arm around my shoulders. Obviously an act to make sure he had the guys fooled. I forced a smile and said "hi."

"Can I talk to you outside for a second?" A question that, I will admit, terrified me. I let out a shaky sigh as I nodded. Standing up from the table, I followed him out the door.

As soon as we were out of the guys' sight, Luke grabbed my wrist, probably leaving a bruise, and dragged me out to his car. Well, _his car_ is a relative phrase. I knew for a fact he'd pretty much stolen it from his friend, Jesse. He threw me into the passenger seat and slammed the door. He was next to me in the driver's seat a second later.

"Damn it, Corrin, can't you cover up that freakin' bruise?" he grabbed my chin and held my face to look at it. "What the hell did your parents say?"

"They don't really care," I snapped.

"What about those idiots you hang out with? What did they say?"

I tried not to get mad about him calling the gang idiots. They aren't idiots. "They don't know anything."

The grip he had on my wrist tightened even more. "What do they think it's from?"

"I got jumped by Socs yesterday," I admitted reluctantly. "They think the Socs did it."

He looked relieved. "If they find out about this…"

"I know," my voice cracked.

"Good girl."

I really wanted to get the heck out of there. I had a bad feeling about this. I tried to open the door, but big surprise, it was locked.

"I didn't say you could leave yet," Luke said, pulling me back towards him.

"You don't control me," I said through clenched teeth. That took some guts to say. But I _really_ shouldn't have said it.

"What?" he sounded like he thought he heard me wrong. I considered letting him think that, but in the end, I couldn't. I repeated what I said, even though I knew I'd get in trouble for it.

He smacked me, but I kinda figured it was coming.

"You're an idiot," he snapped.

"I know. Can I go now?"

"No."

"But…"

"Shut it."

I fell silent. I was defeated.

Luke finally let me out of the car fifteen minutes later, but the abuse didn't stop the whole time I was with him. I got punched, kicked, slapped, pushed, and pulled. I had bruises everywhere. Luke wasn't being too smart if you ask me. I now had bruises that I didn't have before I left the gas station, and Soda, Pony, and Johnny all knew he was the last person I was with. It wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together. Luckily, I was wearing a jacket and jeans so most of the bruises I got were covered up.

Of course, I was forced to lie to them about where the bruise that I had just acquired on my forehead came from.

"I just tripped on my way back here," I reassured the three boys. "No big deal." I didn't check to see whether or not they looked convinced. I just sat back down across from Ponyboy, stared at the ground, and kept my mouth shut.

_**(A/N: Thank you for reading! PLEASE REVIEW! DO IT FOR JOHNNY, MAN!)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**(A/N: Hey people of Earth. Or wherever you're from. Happy New Year! So this is my first chapter update of 2013! Yay! I hope you like this chapter, I don't know if it's long enough or not, but whatever. I try to make most of my chapters at least four pages on Microsoft Office Word, and this got to four pages, so whatever. I tried. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you like it!)**_

**Chapter Three**

We stayed at the gas station until Johnny finished working, which was around five o'clock. While we were headed back to Sodapop and Ponyboy's house, I decided it would be a good idea to go back to my house for a few hours until we went to the movies with Dally, which was at eight o'clock.

As I said goodbye to Soda, Pony, and Johnny, I turned to go to my house. The door was unlocked today, so I just walked in.

"Anyone home?" I called.

My mom called back from upstairs. "Yeah!"

I sighed and went to my room, sitting on the bed. My parents weren't going to come down to see me anyway, even though I've been gone all night. They didn't care where I was. Kinda like Dally's parents. The only difference was, like Johnny, I actually cared whether or not my parents cared about me. Dally didn't. This made the fact that they _didn't_ care about me more hurtful.

But my situation was in no way worse than Johnnycake's. Johnny's parents never cared where he was or what he was doing. But on top of that, they also abused him. His parents, I'm sorry to say, were alcoholics, and Johnny didn't deserve parents like that. That's why he was usually with the gang. He would come home to his parents fighting like maniacs, and they would abuse him just because they were really mad. Johnny oftentimes had nothing to do with it. He actually told Pony once that he'd rather have his parents abuse him than neglect him. Because if they're abusing him, at least they knew he existed. I really didn't like Johnny's parents. And okay, sure, I had an abusive boyfriend, but I'd rather have my boyfriend abuse me than my parents abuse me any day.

Not the whole gang had bad parents though. In fact, before Mr. and Mrs. Curtis died, I loved them enough to consider them _my_ parents. Yeah, I wish. But if Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were still alive, Darry could probably be going to college right now. He wouldn't have to work full time and become the adult. Maybe Sodapop wouldn't have dropped out of high school, and maybe Ponyboy and Darry would get along a little bit better. But they died in a car crash almost a year ago, and it was devastating to the whole gang.

The funeral was really clear in my mind despite it being a year ago. It felt like it was yesterday to me.

_The priest was talking, but I was having trouble listening. It was hard to process the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Curtis died in a car crash. Ponyboy was only thirteen. Soda and Pony would be going into Darry's care. But Darry was only nineteen. He was supposed to go to college. _

_ I heard Sodapop sob from the seat next to me. The whole gang was here, though (except for Dally, who was in the slammer at the moment), and I noticed tears in everyone's eyes. Except for Darry's. _

_ I seriously looked up to Darry at that moment. He had to be really upset that his parents died, but he was trying to stay strong for his younger brothers and everyone else. That was pretty impressive._

_ While everyone was giving hugs and sobbing, Darry stayed strong. Darry didn't cry. Not even when he hugged Soda, or Pony, or even me, and told us that everything would be alright. At Darry's words, Sodapop burst out crying and I gave him a hug. He hugged me back, and that turned into a group hug with Darry, Ponyboy, Johnny, Two-Bit, Steve, Soda, and I. _

_ Darry told us that he wasn't going to go to college. He was going to start roofing houses full time in order to make sure that Sodapop and Ponyboy have good futures. _

I snapped back into reality as I looked into the mirror. I pulled out some foundation from my drawer and tried to cover up the two bruises on my face. They weren't covered completely, but it was better than they were before.

Pretty much the whole day, I was lying in bed and reading books. I loved to read when I got bored. I just reread random books on my shelf. My favorite books to read at the moment were the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. There were six books in total in that series, but I wished there were more. So the three hours before I had to go to the movies, I read about Suze (short for Susannah) Simon. She was a sixteen year old girl who could talk to ghosts, and she fell in love with the twenty year old ghost that "lives" in her bedroom named Jesse.

I was on the third book (Reunion) by the time 7:55 PM rolled around. I got rolled off the bed, landed on my feet, and left the room. I called up to Mom and Dad that I was going to the Nightly Double to watch a movie, and they didn't respond. They probably didn't care.

I ran next door and walked inside. Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting on the couch waiting. Dally didn't arrive yet.

"Hey, guys," I smiled.

"Hey, C," Pony said, glancing over at me. Johnny repeated him quietly.

"What 'cha guys up to?"

"We're just waitin' for Dal to show up."

I sat on the arm of the couch and became lost in thought. We probably weren't going to be paying for admission to the Nightly Double, because that's just the way Dallas Winston was. There was no way he was going to get caught doing something _actually legal_. Of course, not paying made me feel guilty, so I usually left an extra quarter (it was only twenty-five cents to get in if you don't have a car, which most greasers don't) while paying for popcorn. Dally didn't notice, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't care even if he did.

Then my thoughts wandered over to Luke. What was I supposed to do about this? I knew it was wrong to just sit back and let my boyfriend abuse me. Boyfriends were supposed to love you, and abuse is not a good way to show it. But what could I do? I didn't want someone to get hurt because of me…I just couldn't do that. I'd rather have it be me than anyone else, especially someone from the gang. Not that the gang couldn't handle themselves. They definetly could. I just didn't want to take the chance.

I snapped out of it when Johnny grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I jolted out of my daydreaming.

"What?"

"Dally's here. We're going now," Johnny told me. Dally just shook his head and headed out the door.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"Don't worry about it, C," Pony reassured me. I let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding until then. The two guys and I followed Dally out the door.

We went to the fence that we usually slipped under to get to the bleachers where the people without cars sat. Usually not many people were in the bleachers, and tonight was no exception. Most people that came to the movies were Socs, and most Socs had cars. I noticed there was only three other people in the bleachers, two sat together, but one was alone. She had long, straight red hair.

"Olivia!" Johnny shrieked, reaching up to fix his hair. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Honestly, I had never seen Johnny this happy.

Olivia glanced over at us, and when she saw Johnny she ran over to us. "Hey!" she greeted. Everyone but Dally responded.

"Wanna sit with us?" I asked her.

"Sure," she tried to play it cool, but she looked at Johnny and started giggling.

"What?" Johnny asked, confused.

"Nothing," the redhead took a deep breath and tried to stop giggling.

So we all sat on the bleachers in a row: Dally, Johnny, Olivia, Ponyboy, and I. Throughout the movie, Dally was making gross, but slightly amusing, comments. Even just a few minutes into the movie, I was already having a lot of fun. How did I not assume that it wouldn't last?

Someone showed up half way through the movie that would end up making the whole night worse.

Luke.

The second I saw him, I quickly turned away, but not before he saw me. Crap. I started down at my feet and bit my lip, pretending that I didn't see him. He wasn't gonna fall for that, though. He wasn't stupid.

"Hey, babe," he sat next to me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Hi," I whispered back. It felt like I was chewing my lip off, that's how much I was biting my lip out of nervousness.

I noticed Olivia give Johnny a questioning look, and Johnny explained that Luke was my boyfriend. I involuntarily shuddered, and I felt Luke grab the collar of my jacket. He clearly wasn't gonna let me go.

Ponyboy stood up a minute later, announcing that he was going to get popcorn and a coke.

"Does anyone wanna come?" he asked. Everybody nodded except for me, since Luke still had a hold of me. I shook my head, but handed Pony a quarter. I knew he knew it was for admission that we didn't pay for earlier.

He smiled at me. "See ya in a few." He left with everyone When I looked around, I realized that the other two people that were in the bleachers before had left, and now Luke and I were the only ones there. My heart sped up. There was nobody to hold him back now. He pulled me so that my head was in his lap and took hold of my hair right near the roots.

"What does Dallas know?" he demanded.

"Dally doesn't know anything!" He tugged my hair, and I winced.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not!" He pulled my hair again, harder this time. "Luke, I swear, I didn't tell anyone anything!"

"How would Dallas know then?"

"He doesn't!"

"Please. I can see it in his eyes; he knows something's up."

I sighed. "I swear, I didn't tell!"

"So you're not doing a good job of hiding it, huh?"

I gulped. "I put makeup on to cover it up! What more do you want me to do? Maybe if you're gonna hit me, you should make it less visible!"

Wrong thing to say, I knew it even before I found the words tumbling out of my mouth. He smacked the back of my head so hard that it left my ears ringing.

"You watch your mouth. You're lucky this is all you get; you deserve worse." And he pushed me back so I was sitting up again. I realized that he did this because the other four were coming back. I took a deep breath and tried to hold myself together.

Everyone sat down, everyone except for Dally.

"C," he called. I looked up at him. "C'mere, kid."

Luke actually let go of me so I could walk over to him. I tried to keep tears from falling. I could _not _cry in front of Dally. It was like an official, unspoken rule: you don't cry in front of Dally Winston.

He led me over to where no one else would see or hear us.

"What's up with him?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" I asked automatically. I couldn't look him in the eye. Instead, I started at the ground, pretending to be fascinated with the rock I saw lying there.

"You know what I mean."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, Dallas."

"C'mon. Tell me, C."

I stayed silent. I didn't know what else to do.

"Is he hurting you?" he asked quickly.

"Dally…"

"Is he?"

I looked down at the ground.

"Corrin, I know I don't act like it much, but you're like my little sister. I'm not gonna let my little sister get hurt. So is he hurting you?"

I saw no point in denying it after that. "Please don't tell anyone; he'll kill me!"

Dally's eyes narrowed. "Damn it, I'm gonna beat the crap out of that punk! He's not gonna freakin' touch you again!"

"Dally, please don't."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"

I sighed. He probably wasn't going to listen to me anyway, but he kept staring at me. So I was forced to explain that Luke had told me that if anyone found out, he would kill them, and he'd make me wish I was dead. My voice was shaking at this point, and I was close to crying.

Dally hugged me and I cried into his shoulder. Yeah, I totally abandoned my "no crying in front of Dally Winston" rule. But I just couldn't help it. He stroked my hair, telling me, "It'll be okay. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you no more." He would've made a great big brother, but Dally was an only child, which sadly also almost caused his death when Johnny almost died.

When I finally stopped bawling, I let go of Dally and apologized. He just smiled.

"Don't worry about it, kid. But we've gotta tell someone about this."

"Dal, it's bad enough that you know…"

"So you were planning on just sitting back and watching him nearly kill you?"

I didn't know what to say to that, because technically, that was true. He sighed heavily. "Come on, the movie's probably over by now."

I reluctantly followed him. When we got back to the bleachers, the ending credits of the movie were rolling. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Olivia stood up when they saw us. I noticed that Luke had disappeared. Thank god. I really didn't want to face him right now.

"Guys, C has something to tell you," Dally announced.

"Dallas!" I shouted. He just glared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and flipped my brown hair over my shoulder. I stayed silent.

Dally sighed. "Fine, I'll tell them. C's getting abused by Luke.

Ponyboy's eyes opened wide. "What?"

"Dally!" I whined. He just rolled his eyes.

"C, why didn't you tell us?" Pony demanded. I just bit my lip harder.

Dally laughed a little while explaining, "she didn't want any of the gang to get hurt." I sighed, and I felt tears stinging my eyes. Luke is gonna kill me now. There was no way out of this one. I was gonna die very soon, or at least get tortured or something.

Ponyboy noticed that my tears stinging my eyes hard turned into full out bawling. He quickly ran over to me and hugged me as I kept crying. This wasn't fair to suck the whole gang into this. Why did Dally have to tell everyone? But I couldn't be mad at him cuz I was actually grateful to him. Even though I was terrified that the gang might get hurt because of this, it felt good to get the weight of my shoulders. Olivia looked unsure of herself for a second, but she hugged me too. And then so did Johnny. I noticed Olivia smile as Johnny's hand touched hers.

And then I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself. It was so funny to see a change of emotion and I thought Johnny and Olivia looked really cute together. Pony started laughing, too. And then Olivia and Johnny smiled. Even Dally had a grin on his face as we started walking home from the Nightly Double.

And then we ran into trouble.

Blue mustang.

Socs.

Crap.

_**(A/N: So, yeah. Is that suspenseful enough? HAHAHA. Okay, I'm leaving now. Please review...YOU GOTTA DO IT FOR JOHNNY, MAN! And when you do it for Johnny, you're automatically doing it for Dally too, since Dally said to do it for Johnny. We're doing it for Johnny for Dally, if that makes sense. You know what? I really wish Johnny and Dally didn't die. I can make all the fanfictions I want where they're still alive, but really, they aren't. Nothing will change that. I want to cry. And yes, I realize they are fictional characters, I'm a little over obsessive, I apologize. Thanks for reading!)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**(A/N: I'm so sorry I took forever to update! I know and I'm so so very sorry! I don't even have an excuse. Well actually, I do. But I don't think he want to hear it, so I won't tell you. Um...hm. I don't really know what else to say. So have fun reading!)**_

**Chapter Four**

Three Soc guys got out of the car. We all stopped dead in our tracks. Except for Dally. He wasn't scared of no Socs.

"Get out of our turf," he said smoothly.

"Who's gonna make us, greaser?" the first Soc asked.

I noticed both Ponyboy and Johnny slip a switchblade out of their back pockets. It was pretty stupid of me not to have one, but even if I had one, I didn't think I could use it. Olivia had a switchblade, too. I was surprised at first, but then I remembered that she came from New York City, the home of crime. That's where Dally had grown up, too, and if you look at him, it'll explain how bad New York City is.

"Johnny, get the girls out of here," Dally commanded.

"No way," I butted in.

"I've got a switchblade," Olivia added.

Dally sighed. "If you girls get hurt…"

I let him trail off. It was then that four Soc girls got out of the blue mustang, too. How many freakin' Socs fit into one mustang? A lot more than I thought, apparently. They were pretty, I had to admit. More than pretty. There were three brunettes and a blonde. I knew them all from school. They were really popular cheerleaders. You'd have to be dumb not to know them.

Adeline was the first one with a red sweater and red and white plaid skirt. She had long dark brown hair that had some blonde in it. Her teeth were perfect. Maybe she'd had braces for a few years.

Nadine was tall with light brown hair. She had some blonde in there, too. She was wearing a light blue sweater and a white and black flowered skirt. She had light blue eyes that looked really pretty with her sweater.

Arya was the other girl. She had gorgeous hair that was so dark it was almost black. She wore a lavender sweater with a white skirt. I knew she was one of the really flexible cheerleaders. She was really advanced in dancing and gymnastics.

The final Soc girl standing there was Hayley. She had long blonde hair with some blue streaks in it. She was wearing a yellow sweater, which looked cool with her hair, and a black skirt.

"Joel, baby, I don't think you should do this," Adeline said to the first Soc. "You do know who you're messing with, don't you?"

Joel scoffed and swayed on his feet. Drunk. "I know who I'm messing with. I can beat up anyone!"

"Even Dallas Winston?" Nadine butted in. "Zack, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Aw, babe, you worry too much." Zack called over to her. "It's cute. But knock it off."

Arya said in her shy, quiet voice "Dallas Winston is not a kid to mess with. Don't go there." Arya was really busy, so she didn't actually have a boyfriend, but she was so pretty that I found it hard to believe that she didn't.

I noticed Dally laughing as he saw what his reputation was like with the Socs.

Hayley stepped forward. "I think you should beat the crap out of them. The girls, too! C'mon, Matt, you guys can take on Dallas Winston!"

"We can totally take on Winston," Matt said overconfidently. I almost laughed out loud.

Nobody could beat Dallas Winston. Nobody. And anyone that took him on was pretty much dead meat.

Dally actually did laugh out loud that time. Everyone probably just thought the same thing that I did. As I looked around at my fellow greasers, I looked at their emotions.

Johnny looked nervous but amused. Johnny was usually a nervous wreck, especially when it came to getting jumped by Socs, but I guess the overconfidence of the Socs was amusing. I didn't blame him, actually. It was pretty funny. If you thought you could take out Dally, you're crazy.

Ponyboy looked the same as Johnny, but just not as worried, probably for the same reason everyone else was amused. Plus, Pony had a switchblade, and after everything that happened with Johnny and Dally a few months ago, he was not afraid to use it.

I glanced at Olivia next. She looked the most worried of the five of us, probably because she just moved here and wasn't all that sure of what the Socs could do. But she heard quite a few stories from us greasers, and that was enough to freak anyone out.

Dally's face was filled with pure entertainment. I kinda figured it would be, though. He loved this kind of stuff. That was just the way he worked. Fighting to him was like reading to Ponyboy, or smiling to Sodapop.

The Soc guys pulled out a switchblade each and Hayley also threw another one to Matt. Two switchblades? Really?

"Guys, this really isn't a good idea…" Arya said with a warning tone in her voice.

"I'm agreeing with Arya," Adeline said. "Let's just hurry up and go home."

Nadine yawned. "Yeah, I'm gonna have a major hangover tomorrow."

Drunk.

"Johnny," Dally smiled. "Get the girls out of here. This is _not_ going to be pretty."

The Soc girls just yawned and got back into their blue mustang. As far as I could tell, they fell asleep the second they hit the seats.

Before I could register what was going on, Johnny grabbed one of my hands, and Olivia's hands, and started dragging us down the street.

"Don't let them get away!" Joel screamed.

Zack and Matt ran straight towards us. We started to run, but Matt grabbed Olivia and me, and Zack grabbed Johnny.

I heard Johnny swear under his breath and he started struggling. "Listen, man," he said. "I have a switchblade, and I really don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to." His voice was shaking. But the last time this happened to him, he killed a Soc. Then his life turned upside down. I really hoped that wouldn't happen again. If I were him, I'd be terrified right now, too.

Olivia was kicking and screaming. She was clearly upset that Johnny was so scared, and I'm sure the fact that a drunken Soc with two switchblades was holding her and she couldn't get away might have been part of it, too.

As I struggled to get free, I glanced over at Dally, who looked like he was having the time of his life even though he was fighting Joel. There was obviously no need to worry about him. Johnny, Olivia, and Ponyboy were a different story. Pony was helping out Dally, too, but Dal didn't really need the help, so Pony went to go help Johnny.

Johnny was struggling to keep the switchblade in his possession, because the Soc was trying to take it away from him. Olivia was still screaming and kicking and punching.

"Somebody please shut her up!" Matt called. Nobody actually heard him though, because they were all fighting their own greaser. So Matt sighed and pulled out his switchblade.

"If you don't shut up," he threatened Olivia, "I will slit her throat," he pressed the blade against my throat, "and then you're next."

Olivia instantly shut up, but Matt kept the cold, rusty blade pressed against my throat and I felt a shiver go down my spine. I was actually terrified now. Sure, Socs have jumped me before, but it's never actually gone this far. I never was forced to sit there helpless while a switchblade was being pressed against my throat. He was pressing hard, too. If he went any harder, it was definetly gonna leave a mark.

Olivia and I were forced to just sit there and watch as Johnny and Ponyboy were still fighting Zack. I noticed Olivia flinch every time something happened to Johnny. I would've stopped to think about how cute it was if our lives weren't on the line at the moment.

Ponyboy fell over onto his face when Zack kicked him, and it looked like it hurt badly.

"Pony, be careful!" I shouted.

"Shut up!" Matt pressed the blade a bit harder into my throat and I felt blood leak out of the cut. Eww. I shivered.

Ponyboy quickly got up and he and Johnny threw themselves at Zack. Zack toppled over and fell onto his switchblade. My heart stopped beating for about five seconds until I realized that it only went into his upper arm, so at least not anything that could kill him.

He swore loudly and he couldn't get off the ground.

A second later, Joel fell to the ground when Dally hit him. Dal had a triumphant look on his face. The three of them surrounded Matt.

"Fine," Matt said, throwing Olivia and I at the three boys. "Take your stupid girls. You win this one, greasers. But the next time, you won't be so lucky." I watched as he dragged his two friends towards the car, threw them into the backseat with the girls, who just said, "Finally," and drove off.

"We really beat the shit out of them. They shouldn't be such wise asses," Dally laughed.

"Language, Dallas," I said automatically.

"Whatever, kid," he sighed. "Let's go to Pony's house."

Johnny looked pretty shaken up, so I felt like Olivia and I should go talk to him. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her back to where Johnny was walking slowly and silently behind everyone else.

"Johnny," I said gently, "are you okay?"

"Do you think I'm okay?" he snapped.

"Sorry," I said quickly. Then I fell silent. Johnny usually didn't yell at me. Or anyone, really.

He took a deep breath and said quickly, "Sorry, C. I'm just a little scared, that's all."

"It's okay to be scared, Johnny," Olivia said comfortingly. "But you don't have anything to worry about."

Johnny casually put an arm around Olivia's shoulders, and I suppressed a giggle when she blushed. She wrapped an arm around his waist though, and they walked like that all the way back to Ponyboy's house.

When we burst through the door, Darry was sitting on the armchair reading the newspaper. He looked like he was going to yell at us, but when he took in our bruised and cut bodies, he quickly stood up.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" he said with concern in his voice.

Dally actually laughed out loud. "Some Socs thought they were tough enough to mess with me. They kinda messed with everyone else a little bit, though."

Darry looked at the rest of us and his eyes widened. "God, guys."

Dally laughed again. What the hell was wrong with him? But it was a good way to lighten to mood after this whole mess.

"Well," Darry said slowly, "go get yourselves cleaned up. Whoever wants to stay here for the night is welcome to, as always."

We all took turned cleaning our cuts and washing our faces in the Curtis' bathroom. Well, everyone except for Dally, who claimed that he didn't care if anything got infected cuz it would be pretty tuff to show everyone else and make them jealous.

"Where do you live, Olivia?" I asked casually, wincing while cleaning one of my cuts with peroxide. She was doing the same thing. She was actually pretty hesitant to respond, but right when I thought she wasn't going to, she did.

"Actually, I live around the block from here. But I don't really like going home…"

"Why?"

"Well…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I reassured her quickly.

"No, that's okay," she smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. "My parents are really strict. They usually either ignore me, or scream at me. But lately, they've been actually hitting me…" she trailed off and I noticed tears in her eyes.

I gave her a quick hug before telling her, "I live right next door. My parents don't even care where I am most of the time, though, so I'm usually over here."

She sniffled. "Doesn't that bother you?" she whispered.

I sighed. "Usually," I admitted. "But trust me, these guys have shown better family love than my parents ever will. They're always here for you."

She smiled through her tears. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

We went back into the room where everyone else was seated, but when I walked through the door, I noticed everyone looking at me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Luke abuses you?" Darry asked, clearly angry.

Damn it.

**_(A/N: Uh oh...yeah. So I hope you liked it, and I promise I'll update soon! Not like this time! I'm so sorry! But please review! Do it for Johnny, man! And Dally! And Ponyboy! And Sodapop! and Darry! And Two Bit! And Steve! But not for Cherry. I just do not like her at the moment. Well thanks for reading!)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**(A/N: I have updated this because my friend Brianna told me to. Hi Brianna! Ummmmm...I'm not sure...so yeah. Have fun reading this! I hope you like it!)**_

**Chapter Five**

I was sitting on the couch, silently staring into my lap as Darry yelled at me.

"What the hell were you thinking, Corrin?" he yelled. "You could've been killed!"

I took a deep breath and stayed silent; making sure my hair was like a curtain in front of my face.

"C'mon, Darry," Sodapop said groggily, since Darry's shouting had woken him up, "lay off her. She's had a rough night."

"Soda…" Darry said with a warning tone in his voice.

Sodapop raised his hands in an "I surrender" sort of way. "Fine, but when she's too scared to go to sleep tonight, it's your responsibility!"

Darry just sighed as Soda retreated back to his room. I put my head in my heads and sighed inwardly. I was going to get in huge trouble for this. I felt really bad already, since it was almost one in the morning and Darry was screaming at me, waking up everyone else in the house. Well, actually, the only person he'd woken up was Sodapop. Everyone else was already awake, because the only other people there were Ponyboy, Dally, Johnny, Olivia, and I. But still. Sodapop didn't have to be woken up because of my stupidity.

"I'm sorry, Darry…" I said quietly, and trailed off. I didn't know what else to say anyway.

"I'm sorry won't cut it this time, C," he shouted. "You've put your life in danger, here. Why in the world wouldn't you tell us that Luke is abusing you?"

I stayed silent, and Dally told Darry what I told him earlier.

"C, that was reckless. That was a really stupid thing to do," Darry kept shouting.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry!" I cried. What else could I do? The damage was already done, so I just let Darry yell at me.

"Darry, stop it," Pony butted in. "She's had enough of you screaming at her! It won't do any good, anyway! Are we helping her by yelling?"

Darry paused to think for a second and sighed. "No, we're not. But she needs to understand—"

"She gets it," Ponyboy said. "Now c'mon. She probably got beat up by him tonight, and then on top of that she just got jumped by the Socs. She doesn't need this right now. Let her relax."

Darry sighed and sat down next to me on the couch, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"You know you can trust us, right, C?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

"You can't hide stuff like that from us."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I'm so, so sorry."

Darry hugged me tight. "It's okay. "We'll make sure he won't hurt you anymore."

I started bawling for about the third time that night. Darry just hugged me and told me that they'd take care of it. He told me to relax; they guys wouldn't let Luke near me and he wouldn't hurt me again. When I finally stopped crying, I whispered, "I'm sorry," again.

"Don't worry, C. We'll take care of it," Darry reassured me again.

I ended up staying over that night because I really didn't want to go home. I felt safer near all the guys and everyone that I saw that night (Johnny, Olivia, and Dally) stayed over too. Why didn't I tell them about Luke abusing me? I knew they could take care of themselves….but I still wasn't gonna take that chance. I couldn't. But Dally told them everything. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders…but I still felt guilty at the same time.

I couldn't sleep well at all. Sodapop probably jinxed me when he told Darry that I would be too scared to sleep. I felt beat up and tired, but I couldn't sleep. There was panic in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't make go away.

By four o'clock in the morning, I was completely bored out of my mind. I was tired and I felt like I was about to fall asleep, and then in the end, I never did. I stared at random things for entertainment, which wasn't very entertaining.

And then I found something really funny.

Johnny and Olivia were both fast asleep on the floor. Olivia's red hair was sprawled all over the place, which made it look cool. But that's not what was funny.

The funny part was that they had their arms around each other.

I just sat there silently giggling for about ten minutes. I really liked Olivia. She was a nice girl, and that's just what Johnny needed. A nice girl. Johnny looked happier than ever when she was around, and I noticed he was always fixing his hair, which he never did when he was with the gang. Only around Olivia. This was so funny to me.

It was so funny to me that it actually brought my mood up. I found myself smiling every time I looked over at those two.

And then I got bored again. I mean, you can only laugh about one thing for so long. I also didn't want to wake up anyone in the house by my uncontrollable laughter. I had sat up because I got bored with lying down, but I lay back down again and sighed. Why did greasers have to go through this?

Then I heard someone come out of their room into the kitchen. It was Sodapop. I quickly pretended to be asleep, but not before he caught me awake.

"C, how long have you been up?"

"All night," I said, smiling innocently.

He sighed and sat down on couch next to me. "Ya know Darry didn't mean anything he said, C. He was just frustrated."

I nodded silently. I knew that. Darry tended to let his frustrations out on other people. It really annoyed Ponyboy, but I didn't mind all that much. Darry has the responsibility of taking care of two younger brothers at only twenty years old, and he also watches over the gang like he's their father. He had a right to be frustrated sometimes, in my opinion.

"Then why don't you just go to sleep?" Soda asked.

I shrugged. "I feel tired, but I can't," I whispered.

He put an arm around my shoulders. "Stop worrying then," he suggested.

I sighed. "Soda, don't worry about me. Just go back to sleep; I'll be fine."

"You haven't slept all night, though."

"Soda, please go to bed."

"Fine," he gave in. "But if you don't fall asleep in an hour, I want you to come to my room and get me."

"Sure," I said, already knowing that I wouldn't do it. I'm not keeping everyone else awake just because I can't sleep.

Soda stepped carefully over the sleeping Johnny and Olivia, and he laughed when he saw that they were in each other's arms. I couldn't help laughing with him, so I buried my face in the pillow to muffle the sound.

"G'night, C," Soda said finally.

"G'night," I responded.

I stayed awake the whole night. Sure, I was bored out of my mind, but it beats waking someone up.

Ponyboy was the first one up at around eight thirty, and he started making breakfast. I was so excited to finally have someone awake that I just popped up and went to the kitchen to say hi to him.

"Hey, Ponyboy!" I whispered loudly.

"Hi, C," he turned around smiling, but saw my face and his eyes widened. "Woah."

"What?" I asked quickly.

He led me to the bathroom and told me to look in the mirror. I was confused, but I did what he said. And I actually got scared. I didn't recognize my reflection.

The makeup that I had put on to cover the bruises that Luke gave me had come off, leaving a dark purple bruise on both my forehead and cheek. They looked gross. Just eww. My eyes also looked awful. There were dark circles under them, indicating that I had stayed up all night. My hair was also a tangled mess.

"Ugh," I groaned.

Ponyboy just looked at me with a worried expression on his face.

"I'm gonna just…go home…and…clean this up…" I said slowly.

"Take your time," Ponyboy said, "but I want you back here when you're done."

"Sure thing."

"Seriously."

"Okay," I said, walking towards the door. I noticed Pony look at Johnny and Olivia, and smile. "Adorable, huh?" I asked, laughing lightly.

He nodded in agreement.

"See ya soon, Pony," I said, and walked out the door.

"Bye," he called after me.

I walked to my house in silence. Well, duh. Who would I be talking to? Unless I was talking to myself. I did that sometimes. It was weird, I know. When I got to my house, the door was locked. Then I noticed that my parents' car wasn't parked at the road, so they must not be home. Perfect. I sighed and walked around to the side of my house where there was a big tree. I climbed it carefully, because I concussion was really _not_ what I needed at the moment.

I left my bedroom window open for times like this. I pulled it open a bit more and climbed inside. I fell to the floor, but hey, I made it.

I quickly stood up and dusted myself off. I decided to take a shower first, since my hair was really knotted and everything. Plus, I got jumped last night. When I got out of the shower, I got dressed. Just my usual jeans, black shirt, and leather jacket.

Then I went to my makeup drawer and pulled out a bunch of makeup: mascara, eyeliner, and foundation. I usually didn't wear makeup, but at times like this, it was definetly needed.

I put on eyeliner and mascara, and it made it only a little bit better. The foundation would be the most helpful. I covered up both of the bruises. I noticed the one on my forehead was worse, but I did get that one more recently. Just like before, the bruises were still there, but they were just harder to see with the makeup on.

My eyes were a mess. I was disgusted to even look at them. Like I said before, just eww. I carefully spread the foundation across them and blended it in with my skin. The dark circles were no longer visible, but my eyes still looked really tired.

I sighed, and figuring that I was gone for a little over a half hour and this was as good as I would get. I couldn't do much more.

I carefully climbed out the window again and climbed down the tree. I headed back over to the Curtis' house.

As I walked through the door, I noticed that Johnny and Olivia had woken up, and although they no longer had their arms around each other, they were still sitting with their legs touching. Dally had woken up, and was for some reason lying on the chair upside down. It didn't look comfortable, but whatever. Sodapop was awake, too, and he sitting next to Johnny on the couch (just not as close to him as Olivia was). Two-Bit had also joined us. He was watching Mickey Mouse, as usual. Darry and Ponyboy were in the kitchen, and I assumed Steve hadn't shown up yet.

"Hey, C," Two-Bit turned around quick enough to address me, and then turned back to the TV.

Pony heard my name and came running out of the kitchen.

"What up, Ponyboy?" I asked casually, laughing lightly at the fact that he still looked worried.

"You look better, now," he noted. "Except you still look tired."

Hearing this, Sodapop jumped up to look at me.

"Glory," Ponyboy continued, "did you sleep at all last night?"

I nodded. Soda glared at me. I shook my head.

"No," I whispered.

"What the hell, C?" Dally said from the chair behind me.

"Sorry!" I said quickly.

Darry came in from the kitchen. "You're gonna eat something, and then you're going home and going to sleep."

I was going to argue, but he said it in such a firm voice that I just nodded and stared at my feet. I probably wasn't going to fall asleep at home, anyway, so he just gave me an excuse to read my books.

After we all finished eating, Darry told me to go home and go to sleep. I sighed heavily, but obeyed. I said goodbye to everyone, telling them I'd see them later, and walked out the door.

I walked slowly over to my house. My parents still weren't home, and I really didn't feel like going to bed.

Fortunately, I wasn't going to have to.

Unfortunately, I would've _rather_ went to bed.

As I was walking, a hand clamped over my mouth and a strong arm went around my waist so that I couldn't move.

"I heard you told on me, huh?"

Luke.

_**(A/N: GASP. Please review. Do it for Johnny, man. In fact, Johnny and Dally have personally asked me to ask you to review. Don't you wanna make them happy? I would. THanks for reading!)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**(A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I don't really like this chapter. At all. But thank you for reading!)**_

**Chapter Six**

I struggled a bit, but obviously, it was no use. That guy had a vise-like grip. It would just make him madder if I struggled anyway, but I kept doing it. If you haven't noticed yet, I don't have the best judgment when it comes to stuff like this.

Luke dragged me to his car, which was parked behind a tree so it wasn't visible unless you knew where to look. I tried to scream the whole way, but his hand was still over my mouth, and it muffled everything I screamed.

He threw me into the passenger and slammed the door before running over to the driver's seat. I tried to open the door, but it was locked, and he pulled me by my hair over to him.

"What did I tell you?" he demanded. I didn't answer. I wasn't going to. He smashed my head against the car window and I squeezed my eyes shut to try to ignore the pain.

"You're so stupid!" he shouted at me. "Do you ever listen to anything people tell you?"

I bit my lip and noticed my chest was rapidly rising and falling. I was terrified. I knew what he could do to me for absolutely no reason at all, but now he was really mad.

He was swearing under his breath the whole time he started the car and started driving away. He sped past my house and the Curtis' house.

"Where are we going?" I asked shakily.

"Shut your mouth."

I wasn't gonna mess with him when he was mad like that. I just shut up and stared down into my lap. He was screaming at me the whole drive to wherever we were going. I just stared down and refused to look at him, making sure my hair was hiding my face. He was really mad, but I expected him to be, anyway. I mean, all of my friends now knew that he'd been abusing me for quite some time now. He could get into serious trouble for that, and that's what he told me.

"Why the hell would you do it then? Are you an idiot?" I heard a voice say. Realizing it was _my_ voice, my eyes widened. He was not gonna take that well.

After hesitating a second, he said, "You're gonna get it now, you little bitch."

I winced a little. I hated when people swore. That's when I realized that I was trembling.

The rest of the way, he screamed at me, but I stayed silent. Instead of actually paying attention to what he was saying, I chewed my lip nervously. I felt it start to bleed a few times, but I didn't care. I was terrified.

When we pulled into a driveway and the car stopped, I looked out the window. We pulled up at a small, abandoned shed. I gulped. It was pretty much hidden in a bunch of trees, and I realized we were in a forest. Crap, I was dead. So, so dead. He dragged me out of the car, and I tried to resist it. I grabbed the car seat frantically, but he lifted me up by my waist and pushed me to the ground. I fell onto a large rock and it hurt. I winced as he pulled me roughly back up and dragged me through the door.

I struggled and fought against him, but I think we've already established that I'm weak, and he's not. I pushed me through the door and I fell to the wooden floor. I took a deep breath and tried to get up, but Luke sat on top of me, pushing me back down. He slipped a switchblade out of his pocket and my heart started racing. He pressed the blade against my forehead.

"Wanna see what happens to bad girls?" he asked.

"No," I whimpered.

"Too bad."

I started screaming right then. I was really scared. I mean, come on, you probably would be too if you had someone stronger than you pinning you down to the floor and a blade was pressed up against your forehead. I mean, unless you were Dally or something. Then you'd never be scared.

And trust me, I wish I wasn't as scared as I was right now.

I started thinking that this was partly Darry's fault. If he didn't want me to go to bed, I never would've had to walk home, and Luke never would've got me.

But then I thought it was stupid to blame Darry. Darry was just trying to be a good father figure and he wanted to make sure I was getting enough sleep. I wasn't gonna blame anybody but Luke for this. And myself.

Because maybe if I wasn't so weak, I wouldn't be in this situation.

Luke clamped a hand over my mouth again and kicked me in the side. "You're so freakin' annoying!" he shouted. "You did this to yourself!"

The blade accidentally slipped as he started screaming at me, and it cut my forehead slightly. I just squeezed my eyes shut, praying that it would stop stinging. This was nowhere close to the worse he could do. Nowhere close.

He was distracted a little bit, so I kicked, and miraculously, he went tumbling off of me.

I quickly stood up and ran for the door, but he grabbed my wrist and kicked me into the back wall of the shed. I heard a crack as my head slammed against the wall. Damn, that's not good. Well, that was obvious.

Luke pinned me to the wall, and his switchblade pressed against my throat.

"The more you struggle, the worse you're making it, babe." His voice was low and scary.

The switchblade ended up cutting my wrist. I don't know how it went from my throat to my wrist, but it did, and my wrist was bleeding like crazy. My immediate thought after that was, "I'm gonna die." Isn't that a nice thought? I didn't know what to do, so I just let it bleed. I'd rather bleed out than be tortured by Luke, anyway.

My voice was shaking as I screamed, "I hate you!" I don't know how all these stupid things keep tumbling out of my mouth, but maybe I should, like, have a guard or something to make sure I don't say something stupid that will end up getting me hurt. Because everything I said to him lately was setting him off.

I was thrown to the corner of the shed where I fell and crumpled into a ball. I sighed shakily as I desperately wished I was with Pony, or Johnny, or Olivia, or even Dally. I just wanted to be anywhere but here. I hated it here.

I forced myself not to cry, because that would show signs of weakness. Greasers are not weak. Greasers are tough. Tough _and_ tuff.

Luke pulled me up by my hair and forced me to look at him.

"Why'd you tell them?" he demanded.

"I didn't tell them."

"Bullshit." Again with the swearing! "Why?"

"You're hurting me. You have no right to do this."

He yanked my hair and I winced. "I have the right to do whatever I want. Nobody tells me what to do!" I gulped.

"Really?" a voice came from the doorway.

"How about us?" another voice added.

I thought I was hallucinating. I didn't want to believe it. I thought if I did, then my hopes would be crushed when I found out that I was just dreaming, and I was only wishing for those to voices to actually be here.

But when I looked up, I saw I wasn't dreaming. Sodapop and Darry were both standing in the doorway. They weren't the only ones, either. Dally and Two-Bit were there, too. I was so grateful to them at that moment, but I couldn't actually say anything. I was too busy hyperventilating. How did they know Luke "kidnapped" me? How did they know I was here?

Luke spun around to face the four guys. "Not even you," he said smugly. "I'll do what I want with my girlfriend, and nobody's gonna stop me!" he pulled me closer to him, and when I tried to pull away, he nearly crushed my ribs when he pulled me back tightly.

"Sodapop, get her outta here, now," Darry commanded.

"Sure thing, Superman!" Soda exclaimed. He ran up to Luke and somehow kicked him in the chest. I was too tired to pay attention to what he was doing. Luke's hold on me instantly released, and I found myself being dragged out of the shed by Sodapop.

He pulled me out to a row of bushes where Johnny, Olivia, and Ponyboy all popped out of. He pushed me down behind the bush.

"Stay with these guys. They're gonna take you back to the truck. We'll be there soon." With that, he ran off towards the shed again.

"What the hell happened to you, C?" Johnny asked. I sighed.

"I'm fine."

"Right. Let's just hurry up and get her to the truck," Pony suggested.

Johnny grabbed Olivia's hand, and I noticed her blush. Despite the circumstances, I smiled. They needed to start dating. Now. If they didn't, I'd probably die.

Ponyboy led the way with Johnny and Olivia behind him, and then me behind them. I could walk at least.

We got to the truck, which was pretty hidden by some trees that Darry had parked behind. I fell into the backseat, and Pony and Johnny sat next to us. Johnny pulled Olivia into his lap. I couldn't even suppress the giggle that time. It had to come out. Olivia blushed and wrapped her arms around Johnny's neck. Even Ponyboy laughed then.

I leaned against the seat tiredly. "Are they seriously gonna beat him up?" I asked.

Ponyboy nodded quickly. "They were really mad. You're like their little sister, C. You're like my big sister. We're not gonna let him get away with that.

"How did you guys even know about this?" I wondered.

"Sodapop saw everything. He got really mad and we followed you guys, but we lost you for about fifteen minutes. That's probably when this happened," he motioned to the cuts and bruises on my body, "and we found you guys again."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. I felt so guilty.

"What're you sorry for?" Johnny asked incredulously.

"For this whole thing. Now they might get hurt because of me. I—"

Olivia stopped me there. "C, c'mon. This isn't your fault at all."

Ponyboy and Johnny nodded. "This is Luke's fault, and nobody else's," Pony said.

"I don't know…" I whispered.

"C, shut up," Johnny said quietly. "Nobody's blaming you.

Yeah, but I was. I sighed.

"Thank you guys," I said finally. "You guys are like the best brothers in the world. Even though you're not actually my brothers."

"No problem. We're happy to help."

"Thank you," I repeated. Olivia laughed.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, and suddenly we saw the four other guys come out of the bushes. They were joking around and laughing. They reached the truck. Darry sat in the front with Two-Bit, and Sodapop pulled Pony on top of him so everyone had room. I had to sit on Dally, but I didn't really mind at the moment.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked quickly.

"Calm down," Dally said. "Everyone's okay. Except for you. Oh, and Luke."

"Dally!" Johnny cried.

"What?" Dally asked.

"What did you guys do to him?" I wondered.

"He's not gonna bother you again, that's for sure," Two-Bit laughed. That scared me a little bit…what the heck did they do?

"What did you guys do to him?" I asked again.

"Relax," Dally said casually. "We didn't hurt him that bad…only a few scrapes and bruises."

"What?!"

"Why do you care anyway?" he asked. "Look what he did to you!" I sighed. Dally was right. I shouldn't care. I didn't care. I didn't.

Darry started the car quickly. "How do we get out of here now?" he wondered.

Nobody knew.

"Well, this isn't good," Pony commented.

"No shit, Sherlock," Dally teased.

"Language, Dallas!" I cried.

"Whatever. Let's just figure out how to get out of here."

"Are we seriously lost?" Olivia whimpered. She looked scared, and Johnny hugged her.

"It's okay, baby," he whispered, "we'll get out of here."

"Just drive _somewhere_, Dar," Sodapop suggested. "We'll get out of here eventually."

Darry started the engine and the truck lurched forward. Ponyboy let out a girlish scream.

"What the hell, man?" Dally teased again.

"Sorry!"

"Woah," Dally exclaimed.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Your wrist is bleeding, kid. Like, a lot."

I looked at my wrist, which was pretty much gushing blood. Luckily, it didn't get anywhere other than my jacket. "Oh, yeah," I said quietly.

"Oh yeah? That's all you're gonna say to that?"

I shrugged.

"That looks bad," Pony noted.

"It'll be fine," I reassured them.

"Let's just hurry up," Sodapop said with concern in his voice.

We'd been driving for about fifteen minutes and we still couldn't find out way out of the freakin' forest. This was bad. Pony, Olivia, and I were kind of freaking out.

"Relax," Dally sighed. "We'll get home soon."

"Easy for you to say," I snapped.

"Don't be a wise ass, kid."

"Sorry," I said, trying to ignore that fact that he just swore _again._

Dal just leaned back in his seat and sighed.

"Why did Luke have to take you to a forest, C?" Darry complained.

"Sorry," I repeated quietly.

The truck was silent for about ten more minutes, except for Dally complaining that he wanted a "cancer stick". Darry was concentrating on the road, Two-Bit was staring at the Mickey Mouse on his shirt that he loved so much, Ponyboy and Sodapop were staring out the window, and Johnny was comforting Olivia, who was still scared to death that we weren't gonna make it home.

Finally, we came to a fork in the path of the forest.

"Um, which way do we go?" Sodapop wondered.

"I say we go right," Dally said flatly.

"What makes you say that?" Darry asked.

"I like right better than left."

"Do you have a better reason than that?"

"I want to go right."

"Okay…" Darry sighed and turned the car right. Within five minutes, we got onto the open road.

"Whew!" Dally hollered. "See? I'm always right!" I nodded silently, not really paying attention.

"Lucky guess," Two-Bit muttered.

"One problem solved," Darry agreed, "but new problem. Where the hell are we?"

I looked around trying to identify where we were. I had no idea. Dally knew though. I kinda figured he would; Dallas has been everywhere.

It turned out that we were on the Soc side of town. There were mustangs and corvettes everywhere and there were many people dressed all Socy: khakis, sweaters, long skirts, you know, that kinda thing.

We were driving silently down the road, trying to get back to our side of down, when something hit the truck from behind.

Ponyboy let out another girlish scream.

"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Dally exclaimed.

"Can it, Dal," Johnny said.

We all looked behind at what hit us. It was a blue mustang.

The same one from before.

**_(A/N: Dun dun dun...not really. I feel like this has already happened. But whatever, I don't know. Thanks for reading this not very good chapter, and please review! Do it for Johnny!)_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**(This is such a stupid chapter. You don't even understand how much I hate this chapter. So, to make it up to ya, I'm putting up another one tonight! Yay! Sure. So, yeah, thanks for reading! OMG ITS JOHNNY'S BIRTHDAY GUYS. MARCH 1ST. HE'D BE 64 TODAY.)**_

**Chapter Seven**

"Can't we catch a freakin' break? It's like one bad thing after another," Dally complained.

We pulled into a vacant parking lot and the blue mustang followed us. The same Soc guys from before jumped out of their mustang and came towards us.

"Now look who's on the wrong side of town, greasers!" Joel called. Everyone got out of Darry's truck.

Darry, forever being the sensible adult one, calmly said, "We're not looking for trouble. We want to just drive back to our side of town, so back off."

"Make us, grease!" Matt called back. "This is _our_ turf, you play by _our_ rules."

"If you insist," Dally smiled. He practically flew at Joel, Matt, and Zack before anyone could stop him. The other guys rushed in to back him up.

Olivia and I looked at each other, and we didn't know what to do.

And then two Soc girls grabbed Olivia and I from behind. Adeline had grabbed me, and Hayley grabbed Olivia. They dragged us behind the truck.

"We need you guys for something."

"What?" I snapped.

Nadine looked like she was about to talk, but Hayley butted in.

"Is Dallas Winston single?"

I looked at her like she was crazy. Wasn't she already dating Zack?

"Shut up, Hayley. But he is hot," Adeline said.

"Yeah…" Nadine agreed. The three of them stared into space, daydreaming.

Arya was the only one who was acting normal. "Guys, seriously, knock it off! We're being serious here!"

The three other girls sighed and snapped back to reality.

"Okay, greasers, we need your help."

"Yeah, yeah, we've established that," I said impatiently, becoming more and more aware of my wrist that was still gushing blood. "What do you need help with?"

"We need help with these guys," Adeline said.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

"Our boyfriends. Joel, Matt, and Zack. All they ever want to do is fight. What should we do?"

"Why are you asking us?" I wondered.

"Because we are," Hayley said, "and if you don't help us, you're going down with them!" She pointed across the parking lot at the greasers, who were holding their own.

"What's the matter with your wrist?" Nadine asked, glancing at me suspiciously. I was holding my jacket to it so it didn't get blood everywhere. She didn't know that though. I pulled back the sleeve of my jacket to show the blood that was still gushing.

"Eww!" she exclaimed. "The greasers did that?"

"Not them," I snapped at her.

She rolled her light blue eyes and pulled something out of her pocket. At first I thought it was a weapon, but it was a long cloth thing. She wrapped it around my wrist and tied it tightly.

"T-thank you," I said. I was surprised that a Soc would do that for a greaser.

"No problem," she gave me an icy smile.

"You know the greasers are just defending themselves, right?" Olivia said defensively.

"Whatever," Hayley said, rolling her eyes. Soc girls loved to roll their eyes, I've noticed.

"Our boyfriends are always drunk," Adeline went on to explain. "We're so annoyed with them!"

"Yeah, you said that already," Olivia said quietly.

"This is stupid," I said, turning away from the Soc girls and crossing my arms over my chest. I watched as Dally threw Joel across the parking lot and Joel landed on his face.

"Joel!" Adeline cried, running over to him.

Now it was _my_ turn to roll my eyes. I wondered if she actually cared about Joel, or if she was just dating him for a good reputation. He did happen to be the captain of the football team at school.

Next, Matt came flying in the opposite direction that Joel went.

"Matt!" Hayley shrieked and ran over to _her_ boyfriend.

I saw Zack nervously back up and take off, leaving his friends unconscious in the parking lot. Nadine followed her boyfriend, and Arya followed Nadine. Hayley and Adeline were torn between staying alone and staying with their boyfriends, or following their friends and leaving their boyfriends. They chose the latter.

Dally was laughing his head off as the Socs retreated. "Babies!" he called, and turned his back on them.

Olivia ran over to Johnny and threw her arms around his neck. He looked confused, but didn't question it. He just wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back. He whispered something into her red hair, but I couldn't hear it.

Darry sighed. He looked tired, and I didn't blame him. He'd been driving all day.

"Let's go, guys," he yawned. "And we gotta hurry before any more Socs decide to pick a fight with us."

The boys all got into the car, and then Soda lifted Pony onto his lap, Dally lifted me onto his, and Johnny lifted Olivia onto his. Johnny stroked Olivia's hair while she sat playing with Johnny's other hand.

I had to come up with a couple name for Olivia and Johnny. Like…Olohhny. Nah, that sounded complicated. What about…Johlivia? It sounded better than anything else, so that's what I used. Johlivia.

So from this point, both Dally and Two-Bit knew how to get back home from where we were. We drove home in silence. It was kind of awkward, but I wasn't about to start up a conversation.

When we pulled up next to the Curtis house, Nobody actually got out of the car. We all just sat there. So I felt like I should say something.

"I'm so sorry, guys," I said quietly. "I was stupid not to tell everyone about this earlier, and I'm sorry. But thank you so much. You probably saved my life, and I can't thank you enough."

"C, don't worry about it," Soda reassured me. "You're like a sister to everyone here, and we would blame ourselves if something happened to you."

I started trembling as I thanked them again and Dally, Pony, and Soda, who were the closest to me, gave me a hug as I cried harder.

"She's probably tired," I heard Soda say over my sobs. Why did he have to talk about me like I wasn't there? I was sitting right here!

The next thing I knew, someone scooped me up (I wasn't sure who), brought me inside and laid me down on the couch. The second my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

**_(Ugh. Stupid. I apolgize, but I'm stupid too. So you had to expect it. Anyway please read and review and chapter eight will be up tonight!)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**(****_Hey, what do you know? Another RIDICULOUSLY stupid chapter from Corrin! Dal is very OOC in the chapter, just to warn you. Uh...yeah! So I hope you like this chapter, though I highly doubt you will...oh but it's got some suspense! That's always a bonus! Right? Right? Right. So. Yeah, please read and review. DO IT FOR JOHNNY ON JOHNNY FRIDAY AND ON HIS BDAY!)_**

**Chapter Eight**

The next time I woke up, the clock said one o'clock. I couldn't tell whether it was day or night, but it was dark outside. I looked around to see everyone else asleep, so I assumed it was nighttime. I sat up slowly and realized I was on the couch in Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy's house.

"You done being cranky yet?" a voice said from next to me. I spun around to see Dally.

"Dallas! What the hell!" I exclaimed. "You scared me to death!"

"Sorry," he apologized. He didn't look sorry. He looked amused.

I laid back down and sighed. "I wasn't being cranky."

"Right."

"Was I?" I closed my eyes, trying to remember the last time I was awake.

_"I'm so sorry, guys," I said quietly. "I was stupid not to tell everyone about this earlier, and I'm sorry. But thank you so much. You probably saved my life, and I can't thank you enough."_

_ "C, don't worry about it," Soda reassured me. "You're like a sister to everyone here, and we would blame ourselves if something happened to you."_

_ I started trembling as I thanked them again and Dally, Pony, and Soda, who were the closest to me, gave me a hug as I cried harder. _

_ "She's probably tired," I heard Soda say over my sobs. Why did he have to talk about me like I wasn't there? I was sitting right here! _

_ The next thing I knew, someone scooped me up (I wasn't sure who), brought me inside and laid me down on the couch. The second my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep._

The memories came flooding back to me as I strained to remember what happened earlier that day. I opened my eyes.

"Dally?"

"Hmm?" I could tell he wasn't really paying attention, he was busy lighting a cigarette. But I needed to ask him anyway.

"What did you guys really do to Luke?"

"I told you earlier."

"But that wasn't the truth."

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. I just know it's not the truth."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"What did you guys do?" I asked. He knew he was annoying me; he probably was enjoying it.

Dally looked like he was thinking for a while, and then he started laughing. I was so confused. I sat there watching him laugh for five whole minutes. I seriously checked the clock. Five whole freakin' minutes. Dally doesn't laugh often at all, and now he was sitting there laughing his head off. What the heck? I was starting to get nervous.

"Dal, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He finally stopped laughing, and without a word, got up and left the room.

That was so weird.

And I still didn't find out what the guys did. I swear I wanted to kill Dally right now. I just couldn't help wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Maybe I would ask him again later.

But, you know, when I was fully conscious. I was still half asleep right now. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I wasn't really tired, considering I had slept half the day and up until one in the morning. I couldn't actually get up right now, though. It would wake everybody else up.

So I was just lying there staring at the ceiling when suddenly Johnny walked into the room.

"Hey, Johnny," I said. I didn't know why he was here, but whatever.

"Hey, C. You're a girl, right?"

I looked at him, not quite sure where he was going with this. "Yes..."

"I need advice."

I sat up and smiled at him. "What's up?"

"It's Olivia...I kinda like her."

"I kinda figured."

He blushed. "So, what should I do?"

"Just tell her. She obviously likes you back."

"Really?" His eyes lit up with happiness that I'd never seen in them before. Not ever.

"Of course! You can't tell?"

He blushed even more. "I didn't think a girl like that would like a guy like me."

"Johnnycake, don't say that."

"Why not? It's probably true," he muttered.

"Are you kidding me? She's like, in love with you!"

"You really think so?"

"I know so," I gave him a big smile. "Just be yourself, Johnnycake. That's always the best thing to do."

"Thanks, C, I appreciate this. I don't know how girls operate."

"You need anything else, you know where to find me."

"Thanks," he smiled again and left the room. I fell asleep with a big smile on my face. I was always happy to help out a friend.

I sat up with a jolt in the morning when I heard a loud clatter. I spun around quickly to see Dally with a large pan at his feet.

"Dallas Winston, what the hell are you doing?" I demanded.

"What? I accidentally drop a pan and now I'm the bad guy?" He picked up the big, rusty pan and trudged into the other room.

I knew that was no accident. But whatever. I looked at the clock, and seeing that it was already nine thirty in the morning, I jumped up. I usually never slept this late. I was usually up by nine o'clock at the latest. I was changing my shirt in the bathroom when I heard another crash.

I quickly adjusted my shirt and ran out to see what happened. It was just Dally with his stupid pan again. He must've been really bored if he was throwing a pan around the house like a six year old. I didn't yell at him, though. Darry beat me to it, actually.

"Dally, we use those pans to _actually cook_. Why are you throwing them around the house?"

"Because it's fun, and I'm bored."

"Well, too bad. Find something else to entertain yourself with."

Dally threw the pan on the table, leaving a large boom that was ringing throughout the house. Then he just went outside on the porch and started smoking.

"Hey, C," Darry greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. "You look healthier than yesterday."

I shrugged. "I feel better than yesterday."

"Good. Want some breakfast?"

I shook my head. "No thanks, I'm not hungry." That was true. Ever since Luke started abusing me, I didn't really have much of an appetite. I mean, I wasn't anorexic. I wasn't skinny. I just wasn't hungry lately.

"Darry, can I ask you something?" I really had to know the answer.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

"What did you guys do to Luke yesterday?"

"Hey, look at the time! Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?" He hastily changed the subject.

I stared at him. "It's Sunday, Dar."

"Oh, right. Well..." He trailed off, pretending to be very fascinated by the water running in the sink. Then he went to wake Ponyboy up.

Something was going on here. Why wouldn't anyone tell me what they did to Luke? It was scaring me. Dally wouldn't tell, Darry wouldn't tell...although Dally held up a lot better than Darry did, and I found that pretty funny. Every time I said something, Dally would say something right back with no hesitation whatsoever. That was the complete opposite for Darry. So I wasn't gonna get it out of Dally, or Darry….so I only had Sodapop and Two-Bit left. I decided to try Two-Bit first, since Soda was still asleep.

I found Two-Bit on the couch watching Mickey Mouse. Nothing new there.

"Hi, Two-Bit!"

He tore his eyes away from the screen. "Hey, C. How're ya feeling?"

"Good. I have a question for you."

"What?"

"What did you guys do to Luke yesterday?"

He started laughing. What the hell is going on here?

"Two-Bit," I whined, "seriously!"

He picked up his beer that he had been drinking (the whole gang drinks with the exception of Sodapop and myself, even though they were all underage) and left the house.

"What the hell just happened?" I said aloud to myself. Oh, well. I'd have to ask Soda when he woke up. There was no point of sitting around, because sometimes Sodapop could sleep _really_ late. I heard Darry back in the kitchen, so I went to tell him that I'd be back later.

"No, there's no way you're walking back there alone again."

"What? Darry! It's right next door!"

"And what happened yesterday?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "That was different."

"How?"

I was stumped. I just glared at him.

The front door slammed and Darry sighed.

"Dallas!"

"What?" Dally called from the other room.

"Can you make sure C gets home safe?"

"Darry!" I cried.

"I'm not gonna argue with ya, C. You're going with Dally or you're not going at all."

"Fine," I grumbled.

"What's wrong with me, C?" Dally said, pretending to look hurt. But I've known Dally long enough to know that he wasn't hurt. He was laughing inside.

I glared at him, too.

"Let's go, Little Miss Cranky Pants," he started walking out the door.

"I'm not cranky!"

We got to my house with no problems.

"See? I didn't need you to come with me." I told Dally. "Nothing happened."

"Maybe that's only because I'm with you," Dally said. I thought he was kidding, but he pointed out a blue mustang that was driving down the road slowly.

"Oh…" I said quietly. "Tell Darry I'm sorry."

"Will do, kid. Just go."

My front door was locked. All the lights were off in the house. I sighed heavily.

"What do you do now?" Dally asked.

"Climb the tree."

I ran down to the back of the house where the big tree was next to my bedroom window.

"That's a freakin' huge tree," Dally said slowly. "You sure you can get up there?"

I waved a hand dismissively. "I do it all the time.

Dally looked surprised. I'm not sure why.

I climbed the tree quickly but carefully and pulled open my bedroom window. All the lights were off in my room, too, which was weird. Because usually I left the nightlight on that lit up almost the whole room. I didn't question it too much.

Maybe I should have.

"I'm good from here, Dal," I called down to him.

"Ya sure?"

"Positive. Thank you."

"No problem, kid. See ya." And he left.

I landed on my feet when I jumped into my room from the window. I looked around, thinking it felt creepy. It was never usually this dark in my room.

I turned on the light and spun around.

And my jaw dropped at what I saw.


	9. Chapter 9

_**(A/N: Another ridiculously lame chapter. I'm really sorry for the lameness. But I did write this a while ago. So...yeah! I hope you like it! I got this really cool Outsiders poster for my room and I'm all excited. See what I mean by taking my obsessions too far? If you don't believe me, ask anyone who knows me personally. I annoy the hell out of everyone all the time. Well, have fun reading this and I hope you like it! Please read and review! Thanks!)**_

**Chapter Nine**__

"W-what are you d-doing here?" I stammered.

"Please, sweetheart, you can't get rid of me that easily."

"Luke, this is ridiculous! You're being stalker-ish!"

"Am I? I think I'm just being a good boyfriend," he smirked.

"Well, you're not!" I cried.

Luke was scaring me. Honestly. He was actually a lot worse than Dally had described yesterday. Sure, there were cuts and bruises, but that's not all there was. He had a black eye, and the other eye was bloodshot. He was wearing the same shirt from yesterday that was ripped and wrinkled. It looked like he was limping a little bit, too. His dark hair, which was usually neatly combed and greased back was sticking up in all directions. And he looked mad. Very mad. But I guess that was understandable. I mean, a bunch of my best friends pretty much beat him to a bloody pulp yesterday.

Not that he didn't deserve it.

I tried to rush past him, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his chest. "Where do you think you're going?" he chuckled. I had a very bad feeling about this.

"How did you even get into my bedroom anyway?" I asked, struggling to get away from him.

"Is that really important right now?"

"No. But I wanna know."

"Too bad."

I sighed. Should I try to be polite about this, or fight back? Talking it out kinda sounded stupid, but it was better than fighting back and getting seriously hurt for it.

"Luke, will you listen to me for a second?" I said.

"I'm sure you don't have anything important to say."

"I actually do."

"I'll be the judge of that. What?"

"I really love you, Luke. Okay? I love you."

He smiled and went in to kiss me. His guard was down. I pushed him away and rushed out of the bedroom door, running down the stairs. All of the lights were off, but I didn't bother stopping to turn them on. I heard Luke behind me as I ran down to the basement. This would be the perfect place to lose him, because he'd never been in my basement before. Unless he'd been stalking me…I hoped not. As soon as I reached the end of the stairs, I ducked behind a random couch and watched as he ran down the steps and further into the basement. Yes! It worked! But no time to celebrate.

I waited until he was far enough away from me and dashed out from behind the couch. I ran back up the stairs and heard him following me. Crap. But I made it just in time out the front door and over to the Curtis house.

I burst through their front door and didn't notice when everyone turned to stare at me. Sodapop, who was finally awake, jumped up.

I couldn't even focus on anything they were saying. I was terrified. My mouth couldn't form words. I just stood there, wide eyed with my mouth practically sealed shut.

I faintly heard Sodapop shout for Darry who was in the other room. When Darry came in, he shook me roughly, but I wasn't really paying attention, so it didn't hurt. Ponyboy probably would've complained. I tried to respond to make them stop worrying, but I couldn't. My mouth wouldn't move. It seems stupid that one boy could do make me so scared.

But Luke did.

Dally came rushing into the room and stood next to Darry.

"Woah, kid," he said quickly, "what happened?"

I took a deep breath and managed to say, "L-Luke…"

Dally was out the door a second later.

"What happened, C?" Sodapop asked gently.

"Nothing," I finally managed to say.

"C, please, you can_not_ cover for him. Please just tell us what happened and we'll take care of it."

"No, no, no, no, no…" I shook my head quickly and I felt tears come to my eyes.

"Okay, calm down," Ponyboy said, giving me a big hug. I cried into his shoulder. It was annoying me how much I was crying lately. It made me look weak. I definetly _felt_ weak.

When I finally stopped crying, I looked up to notice everyone except Ponyboy and Olivia had left. I was sitting on the couch between them, and Pony had been stroking my hair.

"Sorry," I sniffled.

"Don't worry about it." He handed me a tissue and I took it gratefully, wiping my eyes. I had been crying hard. The tissue was soaked.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked quietly.

"They went to find Luke," Olivia replied.

"What?!" I jumped off the couch, my heart racing.

"Relax," Pony said, pulling me back down on the couch. Everything will be okay.

"But…"

"Calm down."

"Pony, you don't understand!" I jumped off the couch again.

"I guess not. So explain it to me," he said. Olivia was watching me. I guess she wanted an explanation, too.

I remembered something from about three weeks ago. Everything from that one night flooded into my mind.

_I was sitting in the car with Luke, who had locked me in again. I desperately wanted to get out, but he had other ideas. _

_ "C'mon, Luke," I pleaded. "I need to get home. My mom's waiting." A lie of course, but he probably wouldn't know that._

_ "Your mom doesn't care whether or not you're home. She never does."_

_ How did he know that? I really wanted to know, so I asked him._

_ "I'm not stupid," was his only response, however. _

_ I groaned and leaned my head against the window. "Luke, seriously, c'mon, I have school tomorrow."_

_ "So?"_

_ "I need to be up early!"_

_ "I don't care." _

_ I was starting to get mad. He was being such a jerk. I wouldn't be able to concentrate in school tomorrow if I couldn't sleep well. And greasers get detention for pretty much no reason a lot. So far, I'd never gotten a detention, and I really didn't want that status to change._

_ Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out a heater. _

_ "Luke, what the hell?" I shrieked. "Is that thing loaded?"_

_ He put the gun against my temple. "Wanna find out?"_

_ "No," I whispered. _

_ "Then you're staying here. And keep in mind; I will _always_ have this heater with me. It never leaves my pocket. So if you wanna start trouble, I would advise against it…unless you want your head blown apart, that is."_

_ I was silent for the rest of the time he kept me trapped in that car. I didn't remember much of what happened after that, but all I knew was that when I came home, there were bruises and cuts on almost every inch of my body._

"L-Luke has a…"

"Has a what?"

"A h-heater."

Ponyboy and Olivia's eyes widened but they kept reassuring me.

I couldn't take this. I wasn't gonna just sit here and let the whole gang get killed because of me. As soon as they were both glancing the other way, I dashed out the door.

"Corrin!" he shouted as they took off after me. I knew at least Ponyboy would outrun me; he was the fastest in the track team at school. He tackled me into the grass, and Olivia wasn't far behind.

"Guys, go back home. I need to stop them!"

"Their efforts would be wasted if something happened to you, too."

"Ponyboy, please."

"Fine. Then I'm coming with you," he declared.

"Me too," Olivia agreed.

"No."

Ponyboy sighed. "C'mon."

They were in my backyard. Everyone. Every guy in the gang was fighting Luke. But there were also other guys that I recognized that were fighting _against_ the gang. When I saw them, I remembered something from a few months ago.

_"Hey, babe," Luke smiled as I approached him. _

_ "Hi," I smiled. There were six other guys with him that looked kind of scary. They were all clearly greasers, all wearing jeans and either a jean jacket or a leather jacket. _

_ Luke introduced his friends as Jesse, Eric, Kevin, Ethan, Cash, and Jake. They were all either smoking or drinking._

_ I was forced to sit there and watch them laugh and get insanely drunk. They played weird games all night and completely ignored me, which was fine by me. Right before we left though, Luke leaned over and whispered something to me that I would never forget._

_ "These guys will _kill_ your little gang if they ever find out what I do to you."_

I remembered his threat like he'd just said it five minutes ago. It still gave me goose bumps.

"Who are these guys?" Ponyboy asked, more to himself than me, but I replied anyway.

"Luke's friends."

"What the hell Pony? Get them outta here!" I heard a voice from behind me. I spun around to see Dally running up to us.

"C won't leave. She has to tell you guys something."

"What, kid?" Dally asked me.

"Luke has a gun."

"Jesus Christ," Dally rolled his eyes. "Well, don't worry. He hasn't used it yet."

"Trust me, he has one. I've seen it. Be careful!"

"Okay, kid. Chill." He turned to Ponyboy. "Please get her and Olivia back to your house, man."

"C'mon, C," Pony tugged my wrist.

"No! I can't go anywhere! I need to help. This is my fault!"

Before anyone could try to stop me, I ran and jumped onto Luke, knocking him over in a huge puddle of mud. His jacket, jeans, and sneakers all turned brown.

The next thing I knew, a gun was being pointed at me. Luke's finger was on the trigger.

"I don't want to have to do this to you," he threatened, "but I definetly will."

I completely froze. I had no idea what to do. I never actually had a loaded heater pointed at me before. Ponyboy and Dally were right. This was a _really_ stupid idea.

Someone flew at me, tackling me into the grass. I rolled over to see that it was Ponyboy. He pulled me to my feet and I looked over to see a bullet in the fence.

Right where I had been standing not a minute ago.

"Damn," I whispered under my breath. That was close.

Ponyboy grabbed my hand and tried to pull me back to his house.

"Pony, I can't…"

He sighed and picked me up. He was strong for a freakin' fourteen year old. He ran to his house, dragging Olivia with him, too, and pushed me through the front door.

"Pony! What the hell?"

"Sorry!" he cried. But you're staying here!"

I tried to run back through the door, but he stopped me again. I glared at him.

"Corrin, listen to me. You are a defenseless, fifteen year old girl. You have no experience in fighting, or rumbles or anything."

"But…"

"The rest of the gang have been in fights and rumbles all their lives," he continued. "They have switchblades and heaters, too. They can handle this."

I thought about what he said for a second and realized he was right. I sighed in defeat and sat down on the couch.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"I understand that you're worried about the gang, and I appreciate that. But you need to understand that sometimes it's better to let someone else handle it."

Olivia spoke up, "but I have a switchblade! I can help!"

"How do you think Johnny would feel about that?" Ponyboy snapped.

Olivia thought for a second, and stayed quiet. I knew Johnny wouldn't like that, and she obviously knew it, too.

We all sat down on the couch next to each other. Ponyboy and Olivia looked like they were thinking, and I just silently prayed that this would end soon and nobody would get hurt.


	10. Chapter 10

_**(A/N: Hey guys! So...he's chapter ten. I'm sorry for not posting it earlier, but I was actually really nervous about posting this chapter. Because it's different from the other chapters. It's in Dally's POV *dramatic music*! But anyway, I'm really nervous because I will admit, this is a little OOC. But I like exploring Dally's softer, more vulnerablel side. The side that actually cares about everything, like the part in his heart that he makes sure is kept hidden from everyone else. C's POV would be boring, anyway. You'd miss out on all the action. So anyway, I know Dally's pretty OOC, but that's why. Thanks for reading, I hope you like it!)**_

**Chapter Ten**

**Dally's POV:**

C needs to stop being such a wise ass. I told her to stay out of this Luke stuff, to just stay out. But did she listen to me? No.

I don't think she really understands how much Luke has hurt her. She's come home for months straight with bruises and cuts everywhere. She always had some excuse for it: she fell off her bike, she tripped, the Socs jumped her, and she crashed into a wall and stuff like that. I always pretended to believe her, but I never actually did. I just didn't know where it all could be coming from, so I let it slide.

But it kept happening. And I knew she had a boyfriend, but she never talked about him. In fact, when someone brought up Luke, she would change the subject as quickly as possible. That's when I started getting suspicious. Usually, I acted like I didn't care about anyone but myself and Johnny. But I did care about the rest of the gang, no matter how much I tried to hide that fact. They were like my brothers and sisters, and I hated to see any one of them get hurt. So I knew something was up with Luke. I just knew it.

I don't think C knows it, but we really wanna kill him. And there's no way we'd tell her anyway. There was no way she'd go for it. She was a completely non-violent girl, and I liked that about her.

That kid is freakin' insane. She says she doesn't want us to kill Luke. I know she hates him, I know she does. But she just doesn't want anyone to get hurt, even him. But that little shit deserves a beating. A good one. Not just some bruises and cuts. Worse. Way worse.

I don't want him to ever touch her again. Even look at her. Corrin was practically my little sister. I might even like her a little more than that, though I'd never admit it to _anybody_. I really don't know—there's just something about her. I've been trying to ignore it, but the more everything's going on here, the harder it is. I cared about her a whole lot, and might even have—gulp—feelings for her. I ignored them, though. I thought they'd go away. I was wrong.

I would go insane if she died; maybe even die myself. Maybe I would go as insane as I had a few months ago when Johnny almost died. I didn't even want to think about that, though.

So that's how we ended up fighting a whole gang of guys with switchblades and heaters. But I didn't mind. Hell, this was fun. I mean, I usually fought for the hell of it, but it was even more intense now, because I was fighting for something I actually cared about.

So when I saw Ponyboy standing there with C and Olivia, I wasn't too happy.

"What the hell Pony? Get them outta here!" I called to the fourteen year old.

"C won't leave. She has to tell you guys something." Jesus Christ, that girl was so freakin' stubborn.

"What, kid?" I asked impatiently. I just wanted her to get outta there, before something happened to her.

"Luke has a gun."

"Jesus Christ," I rolled my eyes. I've dealt with heaters before. "Well, don't worry. He hasn't used it yet."

"Trust me, he has one. I've seen it. Be careful!" C worried way too much. I'm Dallas Winston. Nobody messes with me.

"Okay, kid. Chill." I tried to comfort her, but ya know, I'm not good at comforting. I turned to Pony. "Please get her and Olivia back to your house, man."

"C'mon, C," Pony kept trying to pull her away, but she resisted.

"No! I can't go anywhere! I need to help. This is my fault!"

Damn it, this wasn't gonna go well. She moved so fast that she caught even me off guard. She jumped onto the little shit-I would no longer refer to him by name, that's how much I hated him-and knocked him into a huge mud puddle. He would not take that well. I could tell by the angry sparkle in his eyes.

I watched him slip his hand into his jacket.

And pull out a gun.

And point it at C.

God, I was pissed. Luckily, Ponyboy was on it. He tackled her into the grass and I heard a bullet shot. There was a hole in the fence right where C had been standing not ten seconds ago.

Ponyboy got annoyed with trying to drag her to the house, so he just picked her up and carried her instead, with Olivia also in tow.

I whispered something that I knew none of them could hear, but I said it anyway.

"Stay safe, kids."

I turned back to the fight. Did I mention I was pretty pissed yet? But you'd have to be insane not to be. I saw every single one of my friends fighting for one girl. One girl that we wanted—no, needed—to protect.

Darry was punching a guy in the eye.

Sodapop was kicking one of the guys' faces in.

Two-Bit just got punched in the gut and was recovering so he could fight back.

Steve was doing a victory dance because he knocked out one of the guys.

Johnny was on the ground, but I could tell he was going to be just fine. Even though Johnnycake might look like a puppy that's been kicked too many times (which, I guess, in a way, he is), he was tough as nails on the inside. You just had to give him a chance so you could see it for yourself.

So I turned to Luke and ran up to him.

"Hey, shitface!" I called to him. It made me a little bit happier to see that he was beaten up from the last time Darry, Soda, Two-Bit, and I got to him. He deserved that.

"Dallas Winston," he smiled. That pissed me off even more. "Why should I have the honor of your presence?"

My eyes narrowed and I clenched my fists. "Cuz you're messing with my friends."

"Nice to know that Dallas actually has a soft spot," he laughed.

I punched him in the face and his nose started gushing blood. I couldn't help laughing. He deserved everything he got. And more. Way more.

I guess that made him mad. I'm not really sure why. It was just a punch in the nose, and the blood would stop gushing soon enough. What a baby.

He tackled me into the muddy grass and pulled his switchblade out. Wow, I feel so threatened. A switchblade! Glory.

I quickly pulled my own switchblade from my pocket. The little shit clearly looked terrified, but he didn't give up. What a shame. I kicked him off of me and rolled over so now I was on top of him. I had the advantage with a switchblade to his throat.

"Man, you're not seriously gonna kill me, are you?" he cried.

"I'm seriously considering it," I answered.

"No!"

"Jesus Christ, you nearly killed C, who's like a little sister to me, and you expect me to freakin' go easy on you? Yeah, I don't think so."

"You think I'm just gonna let you kill me?"

I looked at him. "You don't really have a say in the matter."

"That's what you think, hood."

I don't even know how he did it, but a second later, he had his gun out and was pointing it at me. What the hell? I'm supposed to be the one that catches people off guard! So not cool, man.

"It's loaded," he said smiling. Not a friendly smile, if you couldn't tell.

"Really?" I asked. "So's mine," I said, pulling out my gun and pointing it at his face.

That caught him off guard. Oh, yeah. Dallas Winston was back in business, baby!

"Move a muscle, and I'll shoot," I threatened.

He just laughed. Why was he laughing? This wasn't funny.

"You're freakin' insane!" I shouted at him. My finger was on the trigger. I didn't care if I killed this guy. I wouldn't feel one ounce of guilt. He was a scumbag. I wouldn't care.

And this is why you shouldn't care about anybody but yourself. If you only worry about yourself, you also avoid the anger, frustration, and sadness that you would feel if the person you cared about got hurt. Nothing can touch you if you're tough, like me.

But some things I just can't help caring about. This was one of them.

I felt my finger threatening to press the trigger. It probably would've, too, if two guys from the other gang didn't freakin' fall on top of us.

My gun flew from my hands and landed next to one of Little Shit's friends. That guy picked up my gun and aimed it at me, too.

Jesus Christ, that was a mistake.

And then four of the seven guys had their guns pointed at me.

Johnny and Sodapop noticed my situation and jumped on two of them. They wrestled to pull the guns out of their hands, but they were also being careful not to accidentally pull the trigger.

The remaining two still had their guns aimed at me.

And they pulled the trigger.

I ducked just in time and the two bullets that were about a centimeter away from killing me flew through C's house, leaving little bullet holes in the walls. At least no one was home.

Darry, who had just knocked out two guys at the same time, threw himself at the one guy that still had his gun pointed at me. He knocked down the other guy with his gun pointed at me, too, and guns flew everywhere. Now four of the seven guys were down.

"Thanks, man," I said to Darry, breathing heavily.

"No problem," he said, also breathing hard, "but we're not done yet."

He was right. We still had two more goons to deal with.

And then Little Shit himself.

The two goons were standing in front of Little Shit, but they were outnumbered. It was three to six. But they all had guns. Only I had a switchblade _and_ a gun in my gang. Everyone else only had a switchblade.

They all aimed their guns at us. We kind of just stood there staring at them. I saw Johnny trembling and put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I bet he wished he was with Olivia right now. I liked how much better Olivia made Johnny feel about himself. He needed that.

Without any warning, I jumped on Little Shit. The rest of my gang attacked the other guys, but I didn't notice what they were doing. I was focused on the guy that I was attacking. I punched him in the gut and he doubled over. I took my chance.

I threw myself at him and pinned him to the ground, pulling out my switchblade. I pressed it against his throat again.

"So, where did we leave off before we were rudely interrupted?" I asked coolly. I felt pretty clever tonight. I never felt this clever. "Oh, right. I'm gonna kill you." I pressed the blade harder into his throat until he was struggling against me.

I was actually about to do it. I was about to slit his throat and kill him.

Until I heard another voice from behind me.

"Don't do it, Dal!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't, Johnny," I said, not even turning to look at him.

"Dal, please, just don't kill him. If you kill him, he'll end up dead, C'll be mad, and you'll be in jail, maybe for life. If you don't kill him, he'll rot in jail, C'll be safe, and you'll be fine, too."

I thought about his words, and though I hated listening to anyone but myself, I had to agree with Johnnycake. That kid had a real brain in his head. I sighed and looked around. The rest of the gang had taken out all of the Little Shit's friends, and all of them were bruised and bloody. The gang, too. My gang.

"The police are on their way," Darry called to me.

I rolled my eyes. The fuzz would probably blame me for something. Glory, they hated me. But I guess I couldn't really blame them. I tried my hardest to disobey the law just to show them that nobody was the boss of me. I could do whatever I damn wanted. I had been thrown in the slammer multiple times for that, though.

"Can someone go check on Ponyboy, C, and Olivia?" I asked one of the guys, and hearing Olivia's name, Johnny took off. Johnny was totally in love. It was pretty funny. But I was happy for him. And if Olivia hurt him, that girl was gonna get it big time, I promise.

The police showed up five minutes later. Maybe that doesn't seem long to you, but I had to hold down an annoying, squirming, wise ass. Honestly, the whole time he was telling his wise cracks and spitting in my face, which I cannot tell you how freakin' annoying that was. Darry gave the fuzz the whole "Little Shit has been abusing Corrin for a few months, blah blah blah" crap.

Guess who was right, as usual? When the fuzz first got there, they were eyeing me all suspiciously. It was annoying the hell outta me.

"D'ya got a problem there, Officer?" I snapped.

"Are you behaving, Dallas?" He asked. I resisted the urge to punch him.

"Yes."

"Good," he nodded, though he kept his eye on me the whole time. I turned around and muttered "asshole" under my breath, but he didn't hear me.

I smirked at Little Shit as he was thrown into the backseat of the police car. He glared back at me. I had this strange feeling that the kid didn't like me. I didn't know why, and I didn't care. I was just glad he was out of our hands. That guy was a total asshole. I hoped C would never have to deal with him again. Hell, I didn't even want to deal with him again.

Especially because of what he said before climbing into the police car.

"I'm not done with you guys yet. And trust me, this will not be the last time Corrin sees me."

"Yeah, sure," I replied. I didn't really take his threat seriously...although maybe I should've.

When the car finally drove away with Little Shit in it, I laughed. It felt good to laugh after all this.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" Steve asked me.

I shrugged. "Well, guys, I'm beat," I announced. "Darry, do ya mind if I crash on your couch for a while?"

"Be my guest," Darry responded.

The guys stood out there talking for a while longer, but I walked into the house.

And guess what I saw?

Johnny and Olivia.

Kissing.

On the lips.

"Damn," I laughed, and they quickly pulled apart, blushing like crazy. They were so in love! Sometimes I wish _I_ was in love. I mean, I had Sylvia, but she was a bitch. She was always two-timin' me. I think I'll break up with her for good tomorrow. I needed someone that I could actually count on. Someone that would make me feel better. Someone that I cared about like how I cared about Johnny. I laughed again and then collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep instantly.

_**(A/N: Hold up, folks, the story's not over yet! Not even close, actually. PLEASE REVIEW GUYS DO IT FOR JOHNNY AND DALLY AND PONYBOY AND SODAPOP AND TWO-BIT AND STEVE AND DARRY!)**_


	11. Chapter 11

**_(A/N: Hello. I hope you like this chapter. You probably won't. I'm not a very good writer, you see. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW FOR JOHNNY! AND THE OUTSIDERS HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN ALIVE FOR 30 YEARS (well, the movie, anyway) AS OF MONDAY, MARCH 25TH! AAHHH!)_**

**Chapter Eleven**

**C's POV**

The whole time I was sitting there with Ponyboy and Olivia, I was a nervous wreck. I didn't cry for once, but I was trembling and anxiously glancing out the window every five seconds. I desperately hoped that nobody would get hurt. If one person got hurt, or even—gulp—died, it would affect everyone else greatly. Especially Dally. He was like a bomb waiting to go off. He acted hard and icy, but on the inside he cared just as much as everyone else did. You'd only see that in him if you knew him enough, though. Everyone else knows the Dallas Winston that loves to get in trouble, steal, and jump people. The gang knew both Dallas Winstons, if that makes sense. But even the gentle, caring Dallas usually only came out around Johnny and me.

Ugh, now I sound like Cherry Valance. She's the preppy Soc girl that became "friends" with Ponyboy. Her boyfriend was Bob Sheldon, who also happened to be the Soc that Johnny killed a few months ago. Again, he killed him in self-defense.

So she claimed that there was a good side to Bob Sheldon. There was a side that made him better than everyone else. I never believed her, but then again, I never knew Bob Sheldon. Just like someone else would claim that Dallas Winston is a heartless bad word that I refuse to say, but they wouldn't actually know him enough to see his better side. I'm gonna stop sounding like Cherry now.

But I was terrified that someone wouldn't make it. I hoped that they would, and I didn't doubt that they could do this. But I was still worried, you know what I mean? Like in that one Ben 10 Ultimate Alien episode, Kevin made Gwen leave the radioactive building not because he thought she couldn't do it, but because he was worried because she wasn't protected. Because he loved her. And I love these guys. Honestly, I consider them my brothers, and I rarely think of the fact that they actually aren't.

"Ponyboy?" I asked suddenly. I didn't even know what I was gonna say, I just was sick of the silence. It was making me feel even worse.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Are they gonna be okay?"

He sighed. "C, we've been over this. They'll be perfectly fine, now stop worrying."

I sat down on the couch next to Olivia again, who was playing with her hair. She was probably worried about Johnny. Probably? Who am I kidding? She was _definetly_ worried about Johnny. No doubt in my mind about that.

I went back to staring out the window when I heard a gunshot. I jumped off the couch.

"Did you guys hear that?" I asked shakily.

Ponyboy and Olivia's eyes were both wide. But I wasn't the only one freaking out this time. Olivia jumped up with me.

"A gunshot," she whispered, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Ponyboy!" I cried. "Did you hear that?"

Pony nodded his head. "I would go to help, but Dally would skin me. He was insistent that I keep you girls here and make sure you don't leave…" He glanced nervously at the door.

"Pony, if you wanna go, you should! I'll tell Dally it's my fault if he gets mad!"

"Nice try," he said, trying to smile. "Now both of you sit here."

There were two more gunshots within the next thirty seconds. I started to panic. You know, just a little bit.

I flopped down on the floor and screamed in frustration. Luckily, it was muffled. Olivia sat down next to me with her head in her hands.

And then I felt bad. I was worrying Olivia because I was freaking out. I gave her a hug and told her it would be okay.

"It's okay, Olivia, they'll be alright. I'm sorry. I'm overreacting."

"Don't worry about it," she said, "I'm worried anyway. I mean, what if someone's...dead right now?"

My throat felt like it closed up for a second. "I hope not," was all I could say.

Ponyboy looked out the window at that second. Then he quickly turned to me. "C, come with me." I was confused, but I followed him.

He put a finger to his lips, signaling to be quiet, and pointed to the door. I watched Johnny come in and Olivia jumped up and hugged him. He looked confused, but hugged her back.

I watched as they started talking, and Olivia looked closer to tears with every word she said.

And then Johnny kissed her.

I had to bite my knuckles to keep from giggling. Those two were perfect for each other. Ponyboy dragged me to the bathroom and we left those two alone to their kissing.

"At least we know that Johnny's okay," he said quietly.

"They'll be fine, Pony, don't worry."

He hugged me and I hugged him back. "It's okay," I told him. "It'll be okay."

When we left the bathroom, we saw Olivia and Johnny sitting next to each other on the couch blushing. And Dally was fast asleep on the couch. I immediately realized what happened, and stifled a laugh. Dally must've caught Olivia and Johnny kissing.

Seeing Dally, Ponyboy ran up to the window. "Everyone's okay!" he cried, and he ran out the door with Johnny, Olivia and I racing behind him.

Ponyboy threw himself at Sodapop, and so did I. Everyone else joined us, too. Our group hug, minus Dallas, felt good. A second ago, Olivia, Pony, and I were terrified that someone was seriously hurt. Now we were all hugging and smiling.

"Is everyone okay?" I finally asked worriedly.

Everyone replied that they were fine and I relaxed a little. "I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this. You didn't have to do this, but you did anyway. I really appreciate it, and I can't thank you enough. You're the best friends in the world."

They probably thought that speech was very girly, since they were all guys except for Olivia, but whatever. I'm a girl; I tend to do girly things. And right now I just wanted them to know that I really appreciated it. Honestly, I couldn't even say it enough. I just could've believe they would all do that for me.

Sodapop smiled at me. "C, like I said before, you're like our sister. Anybody that touches you will definetly get the crap beat outta them." The rest of the gang nodded in agreement.

"Having a reunion without me?" a voice came from the doorway.

"Dally!" I shrieked. I threw myself at him and gave him a big hug. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Don't mention it, kid," he hugged me back, surprisingly, tighter than ever.

When we pulled apart, I noticed that Johnny and Olivia had their arms around each other again. It was like they couldn't take a minute apart! It was adorable.

Dally was smiling, too. He clearly liked that Johnny was in love, and I agreed. Maybe Johnny would be happier now. He did look happy right now with Olivia next to him. He was smiling bigger than I'd ever seen him smiling before.

"Jesus, you two," Dally teased, laughing. "You're really in love, huh?"

As if they were proving that they were, in fact, in love, Johnny leaned down and kissed Olivia on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. They stayed like that for over a minute, and yes, I counted. Sixty-three seconds. The whole gang was laughing, too.

When they finally, finally pulled apart, Dally said, "Going public with your relationship now?"

"Aw, shut it, Dal," Johnny laughed.

We just sat outside laughing for a while. Then I remembered something.

"Guys, will you tell me what happened to Luke now?"

Dally started laughing his head off again.

"Wow, I'm sorry for asking," I laughed.

"He got arrested!" Steve exclaimed.

"And we beat the crap outta him!" Sodapop shouted, giving his best friend a high-five.

Okay, at least he wasn't dead.

"Why do you care so much, anyway, C?" Ponyboy asked. "You know what he did to you!"

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts!"

I sighed and stopped talking. Okay, maybe they were right. Why should I care what happened to him? He didn't care what happened to me. He abused me for cryin' out loud. I don't love him. In fact, I hate him. I just really didn't want anyone to get hurt. Am I being stupid? Probably. I'm usually stupid.

The whole gang was silent. Johnny and Olivia were still holding hands, Ponyboy was playing with the string on his sweatshirt, Two-Bit and Steve were ripping out blades of grass, Dally was smoking, and Darry and Sodapop were just staring at the ground. So was I.

Finally, Sodapop spoke up.

"Let's go inside and get some chocolate cake!"

I smiled at them and said, "Have fun. I'm gonna go home for a little bit."

"Aw, are ya sure?" Soda asked me.

I nodded. "See ya guys later. Thank you so much."

"Stop thanking us," Darry smiled at me. "We're more than happy to help."

I looked at the guys. I really looked at them. They were pretty muddy, but my backyard is muddy. I knew that. My backyard is actually mostly dirt, since Dad has never bothered to fix it, and when it rains it's a mess. Some of them were bruised, but they all looked happy, and I guess that's all that matters. Even though I still felt really bad.

I went back to my house and walked through the front door. My parents still weren't home, but I had left it open when I was running from Luke. But at least I didn't have to climb a tree. I slammed the front door shut and locked it, running upstairs to my bedroom.

I sat down on my green and black bed and kicked off my sneakers. My sneakers were kinda ratty and old. They were knock-off version of Converse sneakers, black and white high-tops. The white parts were all dirty, making them look grey. They were also ripped in several different places, but I couldn't really waste my money on new sneakers. They fit okay, so I wore 'em.

I laid down my bed and rolled over onto my stomach. I opened the drawer next to my bed and pulled out a notebook and my favorite green pen. Because I just remembered I had to do homework for school the next day. I didn't want to go to school, but there was no way I was ditching. I actually liked school.

I pulled out my math homework and tried to complete it. I'm awful at math, and everything kept confusing me. Plus, the whole fight with Luke that everyone just had kept popping into my mind and distracting me. It took me ten minutes to do two of the problems on the sheet.

I got frustrated after a while. I guess I get frustrated pretty easily. I had three problems done when I threw my pen across the room and groaned. The pen bounced against the closet door and fell to the hardwood floor.

"Jesus Christ, kid," a voice said from the open window. "What the hell?"

"Hey, Dal," I said without looking at him. "Come on in."

He pushed the window open further and climbed into the room, followed by Olivia, and then Johnny.

"Hey, guys," I said to them.

"Hey," Johnny said.

"Hi!" exclaimed Olivia.

"What are you so frustrated about?" Dally asked me.

"Math homework," I explained.

"Aw, come on, it can't be _that _hard," he told me.

I pushed my notebook towards him.

"What the hell is this?" he exclaimed.

I laughed.

"Lemme see it," Olivia said. I gave her my notebook.

"Oh, this is easy. You just need to isolate the variable."

"What?" Dally and I said at the same time. Olivia laughed and showed me what to do, and after that, I pretty much understood it. She helped me finish my homework and I closed the notebook, putting the pen on top.

"Thanks, Liv," I told her. "You're pretty smart."

"Not really."

"Are you kidding me?" Johnny cried. "You totally are!"

"Thanks," Olivia giggled, and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, you guys, get a room!" Dally teased.

"I don't think we will," Johnny laughed, kissing Olivia again. I laughed with them. They were so cute together. They pretty much just met, and they were already in love…either this was a mistake, or destiny. My vote was the latter.

"I'm starting school here tomorrow," Olivia announced.

"Who's your homeroom teacher?" I wondered. I knew Olivia was fifteen, like me, so we were in the same grade. We were both in high school.

Olivia pulled out her schedule and we found that we had homeroom, math, science, lunch, and study hall together. That was luck.

"Glory, I passed the high school yesterday," Olivia said, "and it looked huge! Way bigger than my old school. I'll probably get lost."

"C and I will help you out," Johnny smiled. "Ponyboy'll be there, too."

"Thanks," she said. "I'm gonna need the help."

"Wait, why'd you guys even come here?" I wondered.

Dally shrugged. It seemed Olivia and Johnny had just followed him here, so they shrugged too.

"Okay…" I trailed off.

"Do you have any more homework?" Olivia asked me. I shook my head.

"Why don't you come back to the Curtis house with us then?" Dally suggested.

"Fine," I said. I had nothing better to do, anyway. I got off the bed.

"You guys don't have to climb down the tree," I told them. "You can go out the front door."

"Nah," Dally said, getting off the floor and heading over to the window. "I like the tree better. It's more fun."

"Whatever you say, Dal," I smiled.

"I'm going out the door," Olivia announced.

"So am I," Johnny said quickly.

I laughed. They were totally inseparable.

"I guess I'm going with Dally then," I followed Dally out the window, and "Johlivia" left my room.

"I bet we're gonna beat them to the front door," Dally laughed.

"Why? They don't have to walk as far."

"We'll beat 'em. Trust me."

And Dally was right. When we got to the front door, they still weren't there.

"What's taking them so long?" I wondered.

"They're probably making out," Dally laughed.

"C'mon, Dal, be nice."

"Well, it's true!"

I just stopped talking. He was probably right anyway.

They came out almost a minute and a half later.

"What the hell took you guys so long?" He saw Johnny and Olivia both smile and blush, and he changed his mind. "Actually, I don't wanna know."

So we walked back to the Curtis house. Johnny and Olivia were still holding hands.

_**(A/N: Story's still not over! Keep reading! Thank you and please review!)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**(A/N: Hello. These chapters will be kinda boring, I guess. But you have to read them to know what's going on for when the next thing happens, so...I apologize for the boringness, but keep reading! DO IT FOR JOHNNY, MAN!)**_

**Chapter Twelve**

**Olivia's POV**

I am in love with Johnny Cade. You might think this is stupid little teenage drama. You might say, "She's only fifteen! She can't love anyone!" but I am in love with Johnny.

I met him at the DX. I was just there to get away from my parents. They started hitting me again, and I couldn't take it, so I just ran. I was only going to stay at the DX for about ten minutes, just to cool off. But the boy behind the counter grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.

He looked about my age, maybe a little bit older. He had dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. I noticed that he flinched when someone even lightly touched him, and he looked kinda terrified.

But I noticed him looking at me, and that's where it all started. The reason I left the DX that day was not because my mother wanted me home, like I told C. I'm sure my mom would rather have me stay at the DX forever. I left because I just felt this crazy feeling whenever Johnny Cade looked at me, at I couldn't take it anymore.

And since that day, I have fallen in love with him.

Now, I was sitting at the Curtis' house on the couch next to Johnny. We just got back from C's house with Dally, and now C was with us. Everyone was tired from the big fight that we just had with Luke. I was tired, too. Johnny slipped an arm around my waist, and I fell asleep on his shoulder for a while.

When he gently shook me awake again, I looked at the clock and realized it was eleven at night. Crap. I had school tomorrow, and now I would have to walk home in the dark. I mean, it was only a block away, but I've learned that a greaser is never safe walking home alone at night. A Soc could come up to you without warning and jump you.

"Well, I'm gonna walk home," I announced. Johnny looked worried.

"Olivia, you can't walk alone!" he cried. "It's dark out!"

"Johnny, I live right around the block!" I told him. "I'll be fine. Stay here and go to sleep."

I could tell he didn't want to. But Johnny went through enough today, so I refused to let him walk with me. Besides, maybe the Socs wouldn't bother with me, since I'm a girl. I mean, I've been jumped before with C, but that was when we were with Johnny, Dally, and Ponyboy.

I shrugged into my jacket, giving Johnny a kiss on the forehead, and quickly left the house before anyone could protest.

I quietly slipped out the door and started walking down the street. I watched in all directions around me as I walked down the first block, and luckily, there were no mustangs or Socs at all on the first block.

The side street getting to the second block was the problem.

The blue mustang was following me. I pushed my red hair out of the way of my eyes so I could make sure I wasn't seeing things. But I wasn't. In fact, when I turned to look at the car, the Soc driving looked me right in the eye. I knew he saw me.

I started walking a little bit faster, but I didn't run. That would make me look scared, and that was a perfect reason to jump someone. Because they were scared. A Soc against me wouldn't have been an issue. Sometimes I acted scared, but usually I wasn't. Besides, I had a blade. But I knew better by now. Usually, when the Socs were out pretty much _hunting_ for greasers to jump, Socs weren't alone. They usually had five or six other Socs with them.

I was almost at my house, now. I sped up a little bit more, anxious to get home. It wasn't quick enough, though. The blue mustang pulled up behind me and screeched to a stop.

Why didn't I listen to Johnny while I had the chance?

I started to run, but three Socs surrounded me.

"Hey, grease. Where ya going?"

Okay, c'mon. My long, thick red hair was barely greasy. I couldn't put grease in it because it was so think that it wouldn't look even. And then it wouldn't look good. But I was a greaser, so that's probably where that came from. Why am I thinking about this when I'm about to get jumped? I wish Johnny was here. Actually, I don't. Because if he was here, he would get jumped too…this is confusing!

"Home," was my reply to their question. I knew that it might've been rhetorical, but sometimes answering a rhetorical question catches the other person off guard. My voice was much more confident than I felt.

I just noticed now that they were the same Socs from before. Joel, Zack, and Matt. Why couldn't they just leave my friends and me alone? I slipped my switchblade out from my back pocket.

"I have a blade. I would leave me alone if I were you!"

Each of the boys pulled a switchblade from their pocket.

"We have three," Matt said, looking at his friends.

This was so not fair. It was three Socs against one greaser, and also it was three guys against one girl. They started closing in on me with their switchblades out. Poop. I was gonna die. Or at least get badly injured. Either way, this wouldn't go over well with Johnny. I just wanted to tell him that he was right. I wish that I stayed at with him and everyone else at the Curtis house. I didn't know why I was even coming home, anyway. Maybe so I could get slapped around again? I'd rather not.

One of the blades was touching my arm when I heard a voice from further away.

"Get away from her!"

Johnny.

Johnny Cade.

He probably just saved my life.

As the Soc pulled away, the blade slit my arm and blood started trickling out. I was disgusted, but I tried to ignore it as it dripped on.

When I looked closer, I noticed that both Dally and C were with Johnny. Dally was probably for backup. He _was_ the toughest greaser out there. But why was C here? I noticed Dal say something to her, and she nodded before running my way.

"C'mon Olivia!" she shouted to me. She grabbed my arm (the one that wasn't bleeding), and started dragging me back to the Curtis house.

"Wait, what about Johnny? And Dally?"

"They'll be fine, I promise. C'mon!"

We took off down the block and finally made it to the Curtis house, breathing hard. Darry was waiting on the porch for us.

"Got her," C smiled.

"Are Dally and Johnny taking care of it?" he asked her.

C nodded again and dragged me into the house.

"Did they do anything to you?" she asked me quickly. C was always worried about everyone else. She was even worried about her crazy, abusive boyfriend. I guess that was a good trait. Though it kind of worried me a bit. I mean, this guy, Luke, probably almost killed her if the gang hadn't intervened, but she still worried about him. You had to have a heart to be able to do that.

"Um, just my arm…" I responded, holding it out to show her the blood trickling down it.

"Eww," she shivered. "Come here."

She lead me to the bathroom and started doing whatever you have to do to clean a wound before putting a band aid on it.

"There!" C exclaimed when she finished. "Now it won't get infected, and Johnny won't worry so much!"

"Worry so much about what?" Johnny asked, peeking into the bathroom. She smiled at him and said, "Nothing, Johnnycake. Olivia's okay."

"Thank God," he cried, pulling me into a hug. "Glory, Olivia, that's why you shouldn't go out at night alone. I should've gone with you…"

I thought he might do this. "Johnny, it's okay. I'm okay." I hugged him back.

"Are _you _guys okay?" C asked about Johnny and Dally.

"Fine," he responded quickly. "They left as soon as they saw Dally."

She laughed. That just goes to show you that you shouldn't mess with Dallas Winston. You'd be stupid to even try it.

Dally came up to the bathroom door. "C'mon, guys, get to sleep." He told us. "You have school tomorrow, and it's already past midnight."

"Sure, Dal," Johnny said, grabbing my hand.

"'Night, Dally!" C called, heading into the other room and getting settled on the smaller of the two couches.

"'Night, kid," he said back, before leaving the Curtis house.

That left Johnny and me to the bigger couch. He pulled me down next to him and wrapped his arms around me.

"What's wrong, Olivia?" he asked me. I felt my heart pound when he said my name. I hated my name, and I remember C yelling at me for saying that. She said it was a beautiful name, but I didn't believe her. It sounded beautiful when Johnny said it, though. Actually, anything coming out of Johnny's mouth sounded beautiful. Was I staring at him? Crap, now he probably thinks I'm weird.

"Nothing's wrong," I answered honestly. I didn't really think anything was wrong, except for maybe that Johnny might've been worrying too much.

"Why do you look so nervous then?"

I shrugged. "Probably cuz I start at a new school tomorrow."

"Don't worry," he told me. "You'll be fine."

"As long as you're there," I smiled. He kissed me. Oh my god, he was kissing me again.

And then there was giggling from across the room. I could tell she was trying to muffle it, but she wasn't doing a good job.

"C, go to sleep," Johnny groaned.

"Sorry!" she said. "You guys are just so cute together!" Johnny threw a pillow at her, and she caught it, laughing. "Fine, sorry, sorry, I'll go to sleep. G'night guys."

"'Night," Johnny tried to sound annoyed, but I could tell he was amused.

"'Night!" I told them, and fell asleep in Johnny's arms.

The next morning, I woke up to Johnny shaking me gently.

"Morning, Johnny," I yawned.

"C'mon, Liv, get up, we gotta go to school," he said.

Ugh. _School._

"I'm up, I'm up," I laughed. I looked across the room. "Where's C?"

Johnny waved his hand dismissively. "Probably staring into space in the kitchen. She wakes up really early and gets everything done within twenty minutes so she has time to think. Or at least, that's what she told me."

I stretched and yawned again, getting up from the couch. I went to the bathroom to get dressed, which was my normal jeans, tank top, and jean jacket, for school. I brushed my hair and teeth, and then left the bathroom.

When I walked into the kitchen, I saw that Johnny had been right. C was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the wall across from her.

"C?" I called.

No response. She didn't even blink.

"C?" I said a little bit louder.

Still no response.

"Corrin!" I shouted. Nothing.

Okay, this was weird. "Uh, Johnny?" I called.

"What?" he asked, coming into the kitchen.

I pointed at C, and he nodded. "Yeah, she does that."

"Um…how do you fix it?"

"You don't. Dallas does."

I was confused, but as long as she was okay, I was good. I started eating breakfast as Darry came into the kitchen with Sodapop trailing behind him.

"Morning, kiddos," Darry said. "C out again?"

"Yup," Johnny nodded.

"Man, what the hell is with that kid?" Dally called, walking through the front door.

I shrugged. I had to admit, I haven't seen something like this before. It was like she fell asleep with her eyes open or something like that.

Ponyboy came into the kitchen, took one look at C, and just said, "Glory," before leaving the room again.

Dally came into the kitchen and looked at her. "Jesus Christ," he muttered before hitting her on the head with his fist.

"Dallas!" I shouted.

"What? It's the only way she snaps out of it! It's not like she can feel it, anyway. She's in dream world."

I watched as C jumped in her chair and said, "What?"

"You were out again," Johnny explained.

"Oops," she blushed. "Sorry."

"That was weird…" I commented.

"I'm weird," she agreed, standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Pony!" she shouted. "Let's go, we're gonna be late!"

"I'm comin', I'm comin," he cried, grabbing his backpack and leading us out the door.

"Have a good day, guys!" Darry called. "See ya later!" He climbed into his car with Sodapop and Steve and they took off.

We waved goodbye to him, and Johnny, C, Ponyboy, and I started walking to school.

"You're gonna have so much fun, Olivia!" C exclaimed. I smiled nervously, and Johnny took my hand in his.

"Ponyboy," she whined, "we're gonna be late!"

"Well, sorry!" he cried. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I can't be late!" she said nervously. "I'm gonna get in trouble…"

I noticed she hated getting in trouble. Why was she so close with Dally then? Dally's _middle name_ was trouble.

Luckily, we made it to school before the bell announced that we were late. C and I got to homeroom literally three seconds before the late bell rang.

Our homeroom teacher introduced the class to me, since I was the new girl. She told me that she'd hoped I'd have fun here, and she even put me next to C in the seating chart.

Homeroom was only twenty minutes, but it pretty much consisted of attendance, announcements, and then we could just talk until the bell rang for first period, which for me was English. I wouldn't be able to see C in that class, but she said the room was on her way to social studies, so she'd show me where it was. After that was math, which we had together, and then art, which we didn't. Then science, lunch, Spanish, study hall, and then we could go home. Glory, _that_ sounded like a long time away.

"Hey, Olivia, you okay?" C asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, um, yeah. I was just thinking."

"I know what you mean," she giggled.

"I know you do," I told her. "Is what you did this morning normal?"

"Normal for me, yeah."

"Why do you even do it?"

She was silent for a second. "I don't know…"

"When did it start?"

"When I started dating Luke…why?"

I shrugged. Maybe this had something to do with him.

We talked for a little bit more before the bell rang. We walked out the classroom door with a "good luck" from our homeroom teacher.

Johnny met us at the classroom door. "Hey, Johnnycake," C said cheerfully.

"Hey, guys," he said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

We started walking in the direction of our classrooms. Johnny and I were walking next to each other, and C was walking behind us, staring out the windows of the school.

When Johnny reached his classroom, he smiled at me and said, "See ya later."

"See ya," I smiled back.

I kept walking silently with C until we got to my classroom.

"See ya in science," I told her.

She nodded and took off towards her classroom without saying a word.

That was weird.

I guess I'd have to wait until science or lunch to figure out what that was about.

_**(I'm sorry for the boringness, again. THANKS FOR READING PLEASE REVIEW!)**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Say hi to Ponyboy, everyone. Hi Ponyboy!**_

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Ponyboy's POV**

School has been awful for me so far today. I kept messing up things. Usually, I loved school. I loved reading, writing, and all that stuff. The gang was proud that I was so good academically (though they weren't so proud that I didn't use my head sometimes when it was needed), and I even moved up a grade. I'm only fourteen and I'm already in high school. But today, I just couldn't wait to get home.

At lunch, C, Olivia, and I sat together. We were all in the same grade, since C and Olivia were both fifteen, and I moved into their grade. So at lunch, we all sat next to each other. There was only the three of us at our table, but I really didn't mind. In fact, I liked it better this way.

"How's your day been so far, Olivia?" I asked nonchalantly, trying to make conversation.

"It's been pretty good," the redhead responded. "I'm not as far behind as I thought I was."

"Good! How 'bout you, C?"

She shrugged. "It's been good."

What was up with her? I don't know…something. I didn't really wanna ask though; she wasn't gonna tell me anyway. She didn't like to be open with her problems to anyone. She didn't even tell us when someone was abusing her, which was clearly a mistake.

"How's yours been, Pony?" Olivia asked.

I shrugged. "Lousy."

"Why?"

"I keep forgetting things and messing stuff up. But that happens once in a while for me."

Olivia nodded slowly, chewing her bologna sandwich. Bologna scarred me for life, because it reminded me of the time Johnny and I had to run from the police when he killed that Soc. I'm so glad Johnny survived. If he died, I don't know how I would've taken it. It was clear what Dallas would've done though, and he's lucky he didn't actually get _hit_ with that bullet that the cops shot at him. Real lucky. _He_ almost didn't survive that night, either.

"Ponyboy!" Olivia shouted.

"What?" Oh. I was probably daydreaming again. I tended to do that a lot. Not like C though. I mean jeeze, when that girl zoned out, she was _gone_.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

I shrugged. "Bologna."

Olivia was confused by this, but C understood and smiled.

"What?" Olivia wondered.

Before I could explain, four Soc girls came up to our table. What was going on here?

"Can we sit with you guys?" the prettie—I mean, tallest—girl asked.

Olivia looked at me, and I looked at C. C shrugged, so I said, "Sure".

They sat down across from us. I noticed they were the same girls that we've encountered plenty of times before. We saw them the night Dally, Johnny, C, Olivia and I got jumped, and we also saw them when the whole gang got jumped again. I noticed them talking to C and Olivia while we were fighting their boyfriends. What did they want?

I forgot all of their names except for the tallest one. She was Nadine. I don't know why I remembered her name...actually, I do. I thought she was cute. But c'mon, I'm a greaser and she's a Soc. It wouldn't work out. Glory, I had to stop thinking like that and get a grip. Besides, she had a boyfriend.

"We need help," the one girl with long dark brown hair said. I couldn't remember her name...I'd have to ask Olivia or C later.

"What now, Adeline?" C groaned. Okay, so she was Adeline. I knew Adeline and Nadine. Adeline and Nadine. I just forgot the other one.

"We don't want to be Socs anymore," the blonde one announced.

"Uh, okay..." Olivia said. "What do you want us to do about it?"

"We wanna be greasers, like you guys!"

"What?" I exclaimed. "Why?" Even though Cherry Valance has told me that it's "rough all over" and Socs don't have the perfect lives that us greasers thought they had, I didn't think a Soc would ever want to stop being a Soc and turn into a greaser.

"We're sick of it," Nadine announced. "We're sick of being the mean Socs. We want to be the caring greasers. We know all the Socs hate greasers and think they're the worst...but that's not what I think. I'd rather be a greaser than a Soc."

Her other two friends agreed.

"So, you guys want us to turn you into greasers?" I asked, making sure I understood.

"Exactly!" Nadine exclaimed, smiling. Her smile made me say "fine" without even thinking about it.

"I guess so," C said quietly.

"Yeah," Olivia agreed cheerfully.

"You guys can come over after school today if you want," I suggested. "Then we can help you look and act like greasers."

"Sure!" The blonde, who I still can't remember the name of, said happily. "Can we walk home with you guys?"

"If you want to," I shrugged.

"Thank you guys so much!" Adeline cried.

Nadine smiled but her eyes looked sad. I wondered what was wrong.

The three Soc girls-well, I guess they weren't Soc girls anymore-ran off smiling big. Except for Nadine.

"What were their names?" I wondered.

"Nadine, Adeline, and Hayley," C told me. Olivia nodded.

Nadine, Adeline, and Hayley. Nadine, Adeline, and Hayley. I would have to remember that. Nadine, Adeline, and Hayley. Okay, I think I got it.

"Well, guys, I'll see ya later," C announced, picking up her books. "I gotta go do something." She looked down at the ground.

I didn't know what she was going to do, but there was no point of trying to talk her out of it, so I just said, "Don't do anything stupid."

She smiled and walked quickly out of the cafeteria.

"What's with her?" I asked Olivia.

"I don't know..." Olivia responded. "She's been like that all day."

I wasn't gonna worry about it. C can take care of herself; she doesn't need to be babied by me. She'd probably get annoyed, anyway.

The bell rang about ten minutes later, and Olivia and I left the lunchroom and went to our next class.

At the end of the day, I stood at the door of the school, waiting for C, Johnny and Olivia and the other three "greasers".

C and Olivia came out first, and then we waited for the other three, who took forever. They seemed to come out almost last.

The three "greaser" girls walked behind Olivia, Johnny, C, and I. I led the way with Johnny and Olivia behind me, and then C behind them, with the other three girls in a pack behind her.

When we made it to my house, I led everyone inside. The only other person in the house was Dally, who was usually at my house when we got home for school so he could make sure nobody hurt Johnny.

"Hey, kids, how was school?" he asked. He was sitting with his feet up on the coffee table again. His boots were still on. I would have to wipe down that table real good.

"Good," Johnny answered. "We brought home three new friends."

"Soc girls?" Dally asked incredulously. "What the hell?"

"They don't wanna be Socs anymore," Olivia explained. "They wanna be greasers."

Dally just shrugged and went back to smoking.

Olivia and C told the girls what greaser girls normally wear, and then I guess they went out to the store to go buy their needed accessories. But they were still rich, so technically, they were still Socs either way. I'm sure they knew that, though, so I didn't bother telling them.

C announced that she was going home for a while, so she left. Then Olivia and Johnny were on the couch with their arms around each other. Jeeze, it's like those two were meant for each other. They were rarely apart, pretty much only when they had to be.

A few hours later, Darry and Sodapop came home. Darry was really cheerful today, and I wondered why. Not that I wasn't happy about it, just that Darry usually wasn't a cheerful one. That was Sodapop. When we were eating dinner, I asked him about it.

"Darry, what's got you so happy?" I asked him.

He shrugged and continued to smile. Sodapop laughed. He knew something.

"Darry met a girl today," Sodapop told me, smiling. Darry kicked him under the table, but Soda continued to laugh.

"What's this girl's name, Dar?" I asked him. Darry stayed silent and blushed.

"Helena," Sodapop laughed again.

"I would shut your mouth if I were you, Little Buddy," Darry said, but he was laughing.

"Nyeah," Soda stuck out his tongue at him.

"So how did ya meet this _Helena_?" I asked him.

"At the DX, picking up Sodapop," he admitted.

"What does she look like?"

"Blonde hair, blue eyes, pretty face..." Darry trailed off, and he looked like he was daydreaming. Darry had to grow up quickly in order to raise Soda and me when our parents died. I forgot that he was only twenty, and he had a love life, too. That was mostly Soda with the love life though. He wanted to marry his ex-girlfriend, Sandy, before she broke up with him. Stupid Sandy. She was a nice girl, though. I hoped Sodapop found another girlfriend soon. He probably would. Everyone loved Sodapop Curtis.

When we were done with dinner, I cleaned up the dishes and Sodapop and Darry were pretty much just sitting there. Then Two-Bit and Steve burst through the door.

"Anyone up for Mickey Mouse?" Two-Bit called.

"Not really," Soda said, "but I guess we'll watch it."

"Good, cuz ya'll don't have a choice," Two-Bit laughed.

I shook my head. "Two, do you ever watch anything besides Mickey Mouse?"

He gasped. "Are you kidding me? No way!"

"You better be finishing those dishes in there, kiddo!" Darry called.

"I am!" I called back. I finished the dishes and went into the room with everyone else.

We sat there just watching Mickey Mouse and making fun of Two-Bit when there was a knock on the door. We all looked at each other. It couldn't be someone from the gang, because they never knocked. They would just walk in, and that's why we left the front door unlocked.

"I'll get it," I said, jumping up off the couch since nobody else looked like they were going to move. I opened the door to see Nadine, Adeline and Hayley.

"Oh, hey guys," I greeted them.

Two-Bit actually turned off the TV so we could make introductions.

"So, this is Adeline, Nadine, and Hayley," I told the guys, pointing out each one as I said their names. "They're Socs that want to be greasers, so Olivia, C, and I helped them out. Girls, this is Darry, Sodapop, Two-Bit, and Steve. The one that was here earlier was Dally, and you know Johnny, Olivia, and C."

Everyone said hi to each other. I looked at the girls, who were no longer wearing their long skirts and sweaters with nice shoes. They were now wearing sneakers, jeans, ratty t-shirts, and either leather or jeans jackets.

"Nice outfits, guys," I told them. They all said thanks and I told them that they could stay here for a while if they wanted, because everyone stayed at my house, usually. And Nadine still looked upset. I wondered why...and I didn't want to just sit here and not ask.

"Nadine," I called

"Hmm?" she asked, looking at me.

"Come with me for a second."

Adeline looked at her and Nadine shrugged, stood up, and followed me out the door. I stopped on the porch and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I'm okay."

"You don't look okay. Did somethin' happen?"

"Well...Zack just dumped me, that's all. I really loved him."

"Oh...I'm sorry..." I said.

And then she was hugging me and crying into my shoulder.

"Nadine," I said quietly, "it's okay. If he broke up with you, then he didn't know how lucky he was to have a beautiful girl like you..." I realized that I just said that aloud and quickly shut my mouth.

Nadine sniffled. "You really mean that?"

I nodded slowly. I still couldn't believe I just accidentally let that slip out.

"Thank you, Ponyboy. You really are a nice kid." She smiled.

I smiled back at her. "No problem."

I wonder if she liked me...probably not. She was a Soc technically, and I was a greaser. She barely got over Zack breaking up with her and now I'm wondering if she likes me? But I really hope she did. And there was always a chance. It was slim, but it was a chance.

_**A/N: PLEEEEEEEEEEASE REVIEW! Gah I wanna cuddle with Dallas so bad. Gah. Kay see ya!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**_(A/N: Hey. Corrinie's in a bad mood, and quite frankly, she's too lazy to write this little author's note. But she just read this amazing story on wattpad and she's jealous. Why is Corrin talking in third person? I don't know. Well anyway, this is another boring chapter. I promise it'll get better...I think. So anyway, thanks for reading, and please review!)_**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Nadine's POV**

I'm not really sure what made Adeline, Hayley and I want to become greasers. All I know is that even though we've only been greasers for one night, I was already glad we did it. Being a greaser gives us more room to let out our emotions. Because Socs are pretty much hiding behind a mask. They could act one way, and have a complete opposite personality underneath it all.

The greaser guys were actually pretty sweet. Sweeter than Soc guys. Not to mention cuter. I was starting to have a little crush on Ponyboy, and I can tell Adeline had a big crush on his older brother, Sodapop. Hayley was just a big flirt, so I could never tell who she liked. She flirted with every guy out there.

But Ponyboy, I thought, was different from them all. He was interesting. And he was definetly the cutest. Or at least, that's what I thought. He had green eyes, but he was quick to reassure me that they were grey. They were obviously green, and I thought they were pretty, but whatever.

The night was pretty fun. We did have to leave pretty early, around nine o'clock, because we had school tomorrow. Today was only Monday. I like school, but when you have it five times every week, sometimes you just can't wait for Friday. Many people would agree with me on that.

But we got there at around six o'clock, so I had a good three hours to spend with Pony. And Addie, as we usually called Adeline, would be able to stare at Sodapop all she wanted. I knew for a fact that Sodapop didn't have a girlfriend at the moment. He'd been single for a few months now, ever since his ex-girlfriend, Sandy broke up with him. Maybe he and Addie could date...maybe.

**Addie's POV**

Sodapop Curtis is freakin' adorable. That's all I can say. Honestly, the whole night, I sat and stared at him until we had to leave. Okay, that sounds stalker-ish. But you know, I just broke up with Joel, so it's not like I didn't have a right. I'm a teenage girl, and I'm allowed to moon at anyone I want.

I broke up with Joel because, quite frankly, he was a drunken idiot. He was always getting drunk and falling over and forgetting about me. It was so annoying, and it made me feel bad. I was done with him though, so now it was Sodapop that I really liked. I didn't know if he'd like me back, but I did catch him looking at me a few times and quickly look away...but then Hayley told me later it was probably 'cuz he saw me starin' at him.

You know who I think would be really cute together? Ponyboy and Nadine. It was obvious that she liked him. She laughed at everything he said when it wasn't even funny. She smiled at him whenever they talked, and he smiled back. Maybe he liked her too. If they both liked each other, that would be just perfect. They could totally date. Plus, we weren't Socs anymore. We were greasers, so there was no social status in the way of them...or Sodapop and me.

I learned quite a few things about Sodapop that night. He was a high school dropout, which didn't really bother me. I didn't like school all that much either. He was sixteen, he worked at the DX, his middle name was Patrick, his real name was actually Sodapop, Darry, his older brother, was his legal guardian, his parents died in a car crash, he loved chocolate cake, Steve Randle was his best friend, that kinda stuff. The more I heard about him, the more I liked him. Maybe I should practice putting my first name with his last name...Addie Curtis. Adeline Curtis. I like it.

**Hayley's POV**

It's way more fun to be a greaser than a Soc. Nadine and Addie obviously liked two of the Curtis brothers. It was kinda hilarious. Adeline liked Sodapop, obviously. She was already asking me if I thought Adeline Curtis sounded good, and she was staring at him the whole night.

Nadine's been upset the whole day today because Zack, her Soc boyfriend, broke up with her. But she seems a lot happier now, because Ponyboy's with her. I think she likes Ponyboy-no. I know she likes Ponyboy, no matter how much she tries to deny it.

I was still dating Matt. Matt was nice enough to let me still date him even though I was turning into a greaser. I loved Matt so much. He was so hot and funny...and hot...

But anyway, I'm having more fun as a greaser than I ever did as a Soc. I could tell I would be good friends with most of the greasers, though. Everyone was here right now, except for Johnny and Olivia, who went out somewhere, C, who was at home, and Dally, who was probably out slashing Tim Shepherd's tires at the moment. All of the guys were cute to some extent. Even Darry, even though he was five years old than me. Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about this if I'm dating Matt...But Matt can't read my mind. He doesn't know what I'm thinking, and he's definetly cuter than all these greasers. I think.

You know what? My mind's confusing me. My feelings are all mixed up, and I don't even know what I'm feeling right now.

I needed something to get my mind off of all this. So I thought about school. I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I'm not in the mood. I mean, I like school and all, but it's kinda hard sometimes. I guess we'd have to sit with Ponyboy, C, and Olivia at lunch tomorrow. I didn't really mind, though. I'm sure it wouldn't bother Nadine none.

What am I thinking? Of course it wouldn't.

**Sodapop's POV**

So, I guess we added three new recruits to our gang! They were all pretty, but one really caught my eye.

The girl with the long, dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

Adeline.

That name was beautiful. Really, it was so pretty. Adeline. Adeline, Adeline, Adeline. I didn't want to stop looking at her, but I caught her looking at me, and turned away before it got awkward. She was really pretty. Honestly, I thought Sandy was beautiful, and she was, but this Addie girl was really something. Adeline had two other friends, Nadine and Hayley. Nadine and Ponyboy seemed to like each other. I'd have to tease him about it later. Him and Darry. I'm excited for Darry that he found a girl that he likes, he hasn't dated anyone since Mom and Dad died. How about Darlena and Podine? Yes? No? Maybe? I don't know. I'll work on the couple names. What about Addie and me? Okay, I was getting a little ahead of myself here, but I wanted to find something cute.

Hmm...Sodaline? I didn't like that one that much. What about...Addiepop? Yes! That sounded really cute. Or at least I thought so. I'd ask C about it tomorrow, she's good at couple names. What's with C, anyway? She's been out of it all day. I mean, she's usually out of it, but not like this. She's way out of it today.

My eyes naturally wandered to Adeline, and I noticed she was looking at me again. But instead of looking away this time, I smiled. She smiled back at me, and I thought maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that she liked me. Just maybe.


	15. Chapter 15

_**(This chapter is completely filler. My friend Adeline wrote a little bit of it. So, thanks Adeline! Yeah...hope you like it. It's boring though, because, y'know. I'm awful at filler chapters.)**_

**Chapter Fifteen**

** C's POV**

Everyone was asking me what was wrong with me yesterday. They said I was "out of it". I don't know why. I mean, sure, I zoned out a lot, but there was nothing wrong with me. Or at least, I didn't think so. Most of the gang said they were kinda worried about me...Sodapop, Darry, Ponyboy, Johnny, even Dally. Olivia asked me a few times what was up, too.

I'm not really sure why they're worried. But they've all talked to me at least once about it. They said pretty much the same thing; if I wanted to talk, they would listen to what I had to say. I would thank them and try to give a smile.

Okay, I knew why I was upset. I felt really bad about the whole Luke thing. I wasn't going to tell anyone that, though. I didn't want to sound like a broken record, and they would just tell me that I didn't have to feel bad about anything, anyway. Why did I feel bad? Because I technically just threw a kid in jail. I mean, sure, he abused me and everything, but I just...I don't know. I really don't. I feel bad. So sue me.

I don't know what to do about it though. What should I do? What can I do? Maybe I should ask Ponyboy, he always knows what to do about stuff. Or Sodapop. He usually understands and listens to everything I say. Or Dally. He'd probably say I'm being stupid, but maybe that's what I needed. Maybe I'd do that. Or maybe I'd talk to all of them.

I decided to walk over to the Curtis' house to see who was there so I could talk to someone, but the only people there were Darry, who was busy in the kitchen, and Dally.

"Hey, kid," Dally said as I walked into the house.

"Hi, Dal," I said looking at the ground. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, kid. Sit down." I sat down on the couch next to him and he put an arm around my shoulders. "What's the matter with you? You look upset."

"Well, I just feel guilty."

"About? Oh, don't tell me..."

"Luke," I said quietly.

"Oh, come on. What do you possibly have to feel guilty about?"

I shrugged. "We put him in jail, Dallas."

Dally heaved long sigh and took a long drag on his cigarette. "Ya know why we put that little shit in jail, right, C?"

"Well, yeah..." I said in response. "He abused me."

"Exactly, abus_ed_, as in he'll never freakin' touch you again and he deserves to rot in jail!" Dally exclaimed.

"But..." I tried to complain.

"No buts, C!" Dally snapped. He started pacing; he does that a lot when he gets upset or overreacts. He knelt down to look at me and said, "I know you know he deserved what he got, Corrin," he explained.

"Yeah..." I said quietly.

"Alright, well get home and get some sleep. Just try, okay?"

"Okay, Dal, thanks," I said, giving him a hug. He hugged me back.

"Be careful, kid."

"Okay." I decided not to go home. What would I do, anyway? I felt like going to the store. I don't know why, I just felt like I couldn't go home.

After about five minutes of walking, guess what I saw? Yep. A blue mustang. Glory, Dally was gonna kill me now. Well, he wouldn't kill me. But I was definetly gonna get yelled at for being stupid. I couldn't blame him.

I attempted to walk faster, but it was no use. The mustang pulled up behind me, like it had before. Joel and Zach got out of the car. No surprise there. Damn, I was gonna get it this time.

To my surprise, they didn't have switchblades, heaters, or beer cans. But I had gotten a switch after Olivia had gotten jumped, so I was prepared for anything they threw out there. I was pretty confused at this point.

"Um...hey," Joel said as he came closer.

"You guys better watch yourselves," I warned as I prepped my hand to pull out my switch.

"We're not here to jump you! We wanna ask you something," Zach explained.

"Oh, really?!" I asked sarcastically.

"We're serious," Joel said.

"Okay..." I said coolly but kept my grip on the switchblade.

"We know that Nadine and Adeline came to you guys so they could be_ greasers_..." he spit out the word like it was dead rats or something, which made me wince, "and they broke up with us so they could, and said we were being assholes and everything."

"Oh," I said, I didn't really know what to say. I mean these are two Soc guys asking me about their two ex-girlfriends that have decided to become greasers. What do you want me to do about your love life here?

"Can you tell them that we really miss them and we're sorry?" Joel asked.

"Um...yeah... I guess," I said. I knew I would forget; I forget a lot of things.

"Thank you so much," Zach cried.

"Hey, C!" I heard someone call. Dally. I winced again. I was in for it now.

"Hey, Dal," I said quietly as he ran up to me.

"These guys givin' you trouble? I'll kick their asses!"

"Calm down, Dallas. I'm fine."

"You'd better be," he practically growled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away.

"Dallas," I pleaded, "calm down. I'm okay, I swear, they didn't do anything."

He turned to me, and he looked really mad, so I instantly shut up. A mad Dallas Winston was not good.

"And what if they did do something? Then what? Huh?"

"Dally, c'mon. Just breathe. Nothing happened to me."

He didn't say anything. He just silently pulled me along until we got outside of the Curtis house.

When he turned around, he took a deep breath and started talking quickly.

"I'm not gonna tell Darry about this, because you're already in trouble with _me_. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Look, C, we can't let anything happen to you or anyone else in the gang, ya hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear ya."

"Don't do something stupid like that again."

"Okay…sorry." His face softened a little bit.

"C'mon, C. I don't mean to yell at ya, I just worry about you guys a lot."

"I can tell," I cracked a smile.

Dally sighed and retreated into the house, so I followed him.

Soda and Ponyboy were sitting on the couch. Olivia and Johnny were sitting together in an armchair. They were practically wrapped around each other. Adeline was here too, but Hayley and Nadine weren't. She was sitting next to Soda on the couch. It was so obvious that they liked each other. I mean, come on. They kept staring at each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking, and when they caught each other, they'd start giggling. I hoped they started dating. Adeline seemed nice, and Sodapop was really upset when Sandy left him. Maybe dating Addie would make him happier again.

"Where'd you guys go?" Sodapop asked Dally and me.

"Nowhere," Dally snapped.

"Okay, jeeze, Mr. Grumpy," Sodapop laughed. Dally just glared at him. I just stayed silent.

I didn't feel like sitting around and watching TV with all of them, so I went to the kitchen. Ponyboy and Darry were both in there. Darry was making dinner, and Pony was supposed to be helping, but he was sitting there just watching him.

"Hey, kiddo," Darry said, not looking up from the pan on the stove.

"Hi, guys," I greeted them.

"Dinner's almost ready," Darry told me. "Are you staying?"

"No thank you. I'll just go home."

"Are you sure?" Ponyboy asked. "Are you even gonna eat at home?"

"Yes, Pony. I don't starve myself; I eat, ya know."

"You better be eating," Darry told me seriously.

"I am! See what you started, Ponyboy?"

"If I find out that you're not..."

"Darry! I promise, I am."

"Okay. Well go home whenever you want, then. Just make sure you eat something."

"Sure," I said, leaving the kitchen. There was nothing else to do, so I decided that I would go home.

"You'd better be going home, kid," Dally warned me. I rolled my eyes and spun around to face him.

"I am, Dal. See ya guys later."

Everyone said bye to me and I left the house. I went to my backyard from there and climbed up the tree to my bedroom. When I got into my house, my parents weren't home. The whole house was dark except for my bedroom. So I went downstairs and started turning on lights. The house looked much more friendly with the overhead lights on above the kitchen table and next to the piano we had that nobody ever used.

I went to the piano and pressed down on a dusty black key. I was surprised to hear that the piano was actually decently in tune. I hadn't played it in years, probably since I was twelve years old. I used to play the piano and sing a lot. Whether I was bored, happy, sad, angry, nervous...I'd love to sing and play the piano, and it would make it better.

I hesitantly sat down at the piano and fiddled around with the black and white keys. Even though I hadn't played in three years, I still somehow remembered every note on the piano. There was that one song that I'd memorized...I remember when I was ten years old and I started it, and it took forever for me to learn it. By the time I was eleven and a half, I could play it fluently without the music in front of me. I thought I still remembered it...

I played the first chord. My fingers stumbled a bit, but I got it right after a few minutes. And after that one chord, it all flew back into my mind. The lyrics to the song I was playing were in my head, too. I started singing, and my fingers were flying across the piano. Before I knew it, the song was over.

"Woah," I said aloud to myself. I didn't think I would remember that.

"Woah is right," said a voice from behind me. I spun around to see Nadine and Hayley standing behind the piano bench.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"We asked Dally if we could come talk to you, and he told us to just go up the tree in your backyard," Hayley informed me.

That Dally. Glory. "Well, hi, then," I told them, smiling. Singing and playing actually made me feel better, like it used to when I was younger.

"You have a pretty voice," Nadine said, smiling at me.

"Are you kidding? I haven't sang anything in years. This was probably the first time I've sang something since I was twelve years old."

"Well, you're not that bad," Hayley said.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Well, we're going now," Nadine said, "but Darry also wanted me to tell you to eat something." Ugh. Why did Ponyboy have to say that?

"Thanks for dropping by. And tell Darry I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself."

"Okay, see ya!" Hayley exclaimed. I let them out the front door so they didn't have to climb up the stairs and go down the tree again.

When they were gone, I sat back down at the piano and sang and played for another half hour. Then my parents came home.

"Hey Mom and Dad," I called when they came through the door. Dad slammed the front door shut and stomped through the house, not saying anything.

"That stupid kid. All she does is make my life worse. I wish she was never born," Mom muttered, storming through the house after Dad.

That stung. It really did. I sat at the piano for a few more minutes, staring at the keys that had me happy just a second ago. Now, I felt like nothing could make me happy. My parents usually ignored me. But I felt like even that would be better than what my mom just said. So I went up to my room and cried into my pillow all night.

_**(Laaaaaaame ending. Sorry. Anyway...please review and thanks for reading!)**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**(A/N: This could not be anymore filler. I apolgize. We'll be getting into the main plot soon. So...umm...stay gold, I guess. Glory I hate this chapter.)**_

**Chapter Sixteen**

** Dally's POV:**

I swear to God, where did these kids' freakin' brains go? I noticed the younger ones mostly, like Johnny, C, and Ponyboy, were having a hard time using their heads. Like when Johnny went to save those stupid little kids in the burning church. It wasn't Johnny's fault that those dumb idiots ran into a church that was on fire. But he helped them anyway, and he nearly died for it.

Then Ponyboy. Maybe if Pony hadn't run to go save the kids in the burning church, Johnny wouldn't have followed him. Ponyboy never uses his head, though. Darry was always yelling at the kid to do that. He should probably freakin' listen to him one of these days. Better sooner than later.

And C...damn it, this is getting ridiculous. C actually felt guilty about putting that little shit in jail. He abused her! What the hell is wrong with that girl? I swear to God though, if he ever lays a finger on her again, I'm gonna kick his ass up the street and back. That piece of shit is getting absolutely no pity from me; none whatsoever. He deserves to rot in that jail cell, and C knows it, no matter how much she wants to deny it.

Honestly, C's choices have been getting stupider and stupider. From not telling us about Luke abusing her to going to the store alone and nearly getting jumped yesterday, the 'good judgment' part of her brain was definetly not working right. And that scared me a bit, because I found myself caring about her more and more every day.

All night, which I spent at the Curtis' house, I pretty much laid there thinking about how we'd have to shape these kids up. I knew Johnny looked up to me, so I could help him there. I was pretty close with Ponyboy, too, after what happened with Johnny a few months ago. I thought of C as a little sister, and I was pretty sure she thought of me as a very over-protective older brother. Maybe we should have a class on how to take care of yourself better.

Nah, too much effort. Maybe I'd make Sodapop do it. I'm pretty sure he would if I asked him to.

Ugh, I can't even remember the last time I've thought so hard about something. So I got up from the couch and trudge to Sodapop and Ponyboy's room. Ponyboy was fast asleep, and so was Soda. I jumped on Soda, being careful not to wake up Ponyboy.

"Dally?" Soda whispered, sitting up as I jumped on him. "What the heck are you doing?"

"I have to talk to you about something. C'mon." I led him out to the front room where we sat on the couch.

"What is so important that it can't wait until morning?" he asked groggily.

"I need you to do something for me."

"I'm not doing anything illegal."

"It's not illegal! What makes you think that?"

"Dal, you hate doing things that are legal."

"Well, this is legal!"

"Okay, what is it?"

"You know how Johnny, Ponyboy, and C never use their heads?"

"Where is this going?"

"I think you should teach them to use their heads, man. Darry always says you're good at that shit."

"May I ask why you want to do this, Dal?"

"Because, man. I'm worried about them."

"_Dallas Winston_ is _actually_ worried about someone other than _himself_?"

"Aw, can it, Soda. You know I care about you guys."

"Well, I guess. But what do you want me to tell them?"

"C'mon, man, you know this. No running into burning church buildings. No going to the store alone where a Soc can jump you. No going outside when it's freezing outside without a coat or jacket or something."

"You came up with this idea. How 'bout you tell them?"

"But they'll probably listen better to you."

"You think they'll listen better to Sodapop Curtis than Dallas Winston?"

I thought about that for a second. "No, but it takes work to come up with a lecture."

"If you actually cared about them, you'd do it anyway." I sighed. Sodapop was being difficult.

"Fine," I gave in, "I'll do it. But you have to be a part of it, okay?"

"Sure, Dal."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem. Now can I go to bed? I have work tomorrow."

"G'night."

"G'night, Dal."

Well, I guess I was gonna have to teach them to use their goddamn heads. Shouldn't that be human instinct? _Use your goddamn head?_ But honestly, that wasn't really a problem for me. Actually, I was kind of glad to be giving those kids a piece of my mind. Not that I would yell at them. Johnny was pretty jumpy enough; Ponyboy was okay, he wasn't as nervous as the other two. C was nervous from getting abused by her boyfriend-well, her ex-boyfriend now-so I wouldn't yell at her, either. I just wanted them to see it my way. I wanted them to realize that they were safe as long as they stayed smart, like me.

Ugh. Now I was bored. I pulled out a cigarette and lay back down on the couch, staring at the ceiling and watching the wispy smoke. Then I wondered what Johnny was up to. He actually wasn't with Olivia for once-Olivia was on the other couch across from me, and she wasn't in Johnny's arms. Weird. Olivia was sleeping, so I didn't want to wake her up to ask. I decided to go find him. Maybe he was at his house, or sleeping in the lot or something. I couldn't imagine why, though. He doesn't usually sleep at his house, thanks to his asshole parents, and he hadn't slept in the lot once since he met Olivia. But it was worth a shot.

I quietly slipped out the door and ended up in front of the Curtis house. I looked over at C's house. I noticed her bedroom light was still on. It was almost one-thirty in the morning; what the hell was she doing awake? She had school tomorrow! I wondered why she liked school so much. I didn't bother to actually go anymore, but when I did, it was really boring. I ignored her house for the moment, though.

I walked slowly to Johnny's house first. It came before the lot, anyway. I just hoped he wasn't there. Johnny's parents, like I said before, were assholes that abused and neglected him. Johnny cared way too much though; my parents ignore me, and I don't give a shit.

Johnny's house, when I finally got to it, was completely dark. Not one light in the whole freakin' house was on. I snuck around to the back of the house, where I know Johnny's room was. He wasn't in his bedroom, but none of the other lights were on in the house. Hmm. This was strange.

I gave up trying to peer through the Cades' windows and started slowly walking to the lot. Johnny used to sleep in the lot often when his parents were all drunk and abusive. I hated Johnny's parents. I didn't understand how such an innocent, caring guy could come from such assholes like that...and Johnnycake didn't deserve those kinds of parents. That's why the gang watched him like he was their pet. That's why I nearly killed myself a few months ago when I thought he was gonna die.

When I got to the lot, there were a pile of newspapers...but under that was...

Johnny.

"Johnnycake, what the hell are you doing out here?" I asked, kicking him gently with my foot to wake him up.

"Dally?" Johnny asked groggily. "Whatcha doing here, man?" I swear, Johnny never used to say man until he met me. I liked that he looked up to me like that.

"Why are you sleeping out here?" I asked him again. He shrugged.

"I didn't want to bother Olivia."

"What makes you think you'd bother her?" I asked, sitting down next to him. It sounded like he was having some inner issue with himself.

"I don't think I deserve her..." Johnny sighed.

"Why would you say that, man? Johnny, of course you do!"

"No, Dally, I'm serious. I mean, look at her...she's perfect. And I'm not."

"Johnny Cade, shut up. She loves you, man, and that's all that matters. Does she look upset that she's dating you? No! She looks happier than she looked when I first met her."

"I don't know..."

"Johnny, c'mon. We're going back to the Curtis' house."

"But..."

"C'mon," I stood up and pulled him up by his arm.

"But what if Olivia..."

"I know who we can talk to about this. _C'mon_."

"Where are we going, Dal?" We walked all the way back to the Curtis house, and I looked over at C's house. Her bedroom light was still on. Oh, that kid was gonna get it. She shouldn't be up this late on a freakin' school night! But I wanted to talk to her about this whole thing with Johnny and Olivia. She's pretty close with her, so I figured she could help more than anyone else could.

I dragged Johnny to C's backyard and started climbing the tree leading up to her bedroom.

"Why are we bothering C?" Johnny asked me. "We have school tomorrow!"

"The freakin' kid's up anyway," I muttered. "It's not like we're waking her up."

We got up the tree and knocked on the window. C was just sitting on her bed staring into space. Shit. I knew what that meant. Her window wasn't completely closed though, (which I don't think was very smart of her, but whatever) and I pushed the window open enough for Johnny and I to climb through. She still didn't respond when we fell to the floor in a heap. God, we had to get to that kid to a doctor or something. I really don't think that's normal. I knocked on her head gently, but hard enough for her to be able to feel it.

She jumped up when she snapped out of it. "Woah! Oh. Hey, guys."

"What the hell are you doing up?" I snapped.

"Yeah, we have school tomorrow," Johnny added.

"What time is it?" she wondered. Oh my god. She's probably been zoned out for a while.

"Two in the morning," I informed her.

"Wow, seriously?" she looked surprised.

"Yeah."

"Damn it, I didn't realize." Of course she didn't.

"Well, we have something we have to talk to you about," I announced.

"Do you?" she asked, yawning.

"Yes," I rolled my eyes.

"Well?"

I rolled my eyes again. She was being impatient. "Do you think Johnny's not good enough for Olivia?"

"Johnny and Olivia are perfect for each other. Johlivia forever!" she shrieked.

Johnny and I exchanged worried glances. Maybe this kid really is insane.

"Uh...what's Johlivia?" Johnny asked hesitantly.

"Johlivia!" she giggled. "You know, like, Johnny plus Olivia equals Johlivia!"

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, rolling my eyes for the third time in less than five minutes.

"But Johnny, don't say that," she continued seriously. "Olivia loves you, it's obvious."

"Is it?" he groaned miserably.

"Yes, Johnny, it is!" she cried. "When Olivia talks to me, it's always about you! I mean, not that it bothers me. Actually, it makes me laugh, that's how much she's in love with you. She's always like, "Johnny's so cute," or "Johnny's so funny!" or "I love Johnny...but he probably doesn't love me back...I mean, why would a guy like that like a girl like me?" which I thought was pretty funny, because you said the same thing to me not too long ago, just reversed..." she babbled on.

"Okay, we get it," I cut her off. "See, Johnny? She's probably just too nervous to tell you how she feels."

Johnny sighed and stared at his feet.

"Okay, well sorry to disturb ya, C, although if I didn't come up here you probably would've been like that all night with no sleep. We should probably get that checked out...take ya to a doctor or something."

"No doctors!" She cried.

Oh, yeah. She hated doctors. Eh, maybe I'll drag her to one anyway. "C'mon, man," I told Johnny as I led him back to the window.

"Guys, c'mere, I'll let you out the front door," C said, stumbling out of bed and opening the bedroom door for us.

"Are your parents home?" Johnny asked her as we went down the stairs.

"Nah, they usually aren't anyway."

"Make sure your door's locked, then. And shut your window. And lock it," I commanded.

"Cool it, Dal. I can take care of myself."

"Right," I muttered, but she didn't hear me.

She opened the front door and let Johnny and me out. There was a cool breeze as we stepped outside.

"You better get to sleep," I said, pointing at C. "You too, Johnny."

"Yeah, yeah," they both said at the same time. Johnny and I started walking back to the Curtis house, and C stood at the door watching us.

"Hey, Johnny," she called, and Johnny and I spun around.

"Yeah?" Johnny called back.

"Stay gold," she said. Johnny laughed a little.

"You too, C. You too." C smiled at us and shut the door.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Nothing," Johnny said, smiling at the ground.

When we got to the Curtis house, I lay back down on the couch and Johnny lay down on the other side of Olivia so he wouldn't wake her up.

"G'night, Johnny," I said, staring up at the ceiling.

"G'night, Dal," I heard him say back before I fell asleep.

_**(A/N: Third grade! I just said that out loud and decided to type it...I don't know. I'm in seventh grade, not third. Just in case you were wondering. Okay, well...umm I want you to review but it's such a bad chapter that I'm not really expecting you to...maybe I'll post the next chapter today. One sec, I'm gonna check to see if it's any better. **PLEASE STAND BY** Eh, next one's kinda filler, too. I think chapter 18 is where the plot comes in. YOU CAN WAIT FOR THAT ONE HAHAHAHAHAHAH I'll post 17 today ...bye.)**_


	17. Chapter 17

**_(A/N: Glory, more filler-ness. I suck. I'm sorry. The next chapter'll be a little better. Umm...have fun reading!)_**

**Chapter Seventeen**

** Johnny's POV**

The next morning I woke up early, not as early as C, but earlier than I usually do. Olivia was still asleep next to me.

Golly, she was so pretty. Her long red hair was almost perfect even after sleeping the whole night. She didn't wear makeup often, and she was still gorgeous. When she smiled at me, I felt like everything negative that happened in my life didn't matter anymore. Olivia would always make it better. Olivia was such a pretty name. I couldn't understand why she hated it so much. Olivia. I just loved the way it rolled off my tongue when I said it...Olivia...

Having a girlfriend-Olivia agreed that we would be considered dating at this point-really made life so much better. I should tell Dally to get a girlfriend. And not one like Sylvia, either. I wouldn't even consider Sylvia as one of Dally's girlfriends. She was always two-timin' him. Who needed that? If Olivia ever two-timed me, it would break my heart. I knew she wouldn't, though.

After daydreaming for a while, I glanced at the clock and noticed it was time to get up.

"Olivia," I whispered, shaking her gently and trying not to wake up Dal, who was asleep on the other couch.

"The chicken is running...catch it..." she mumbled, still half asleep.

What the heck was she dreaming about? Oh well, it was adorable. "Uh, Olivia? Time to wake up, babe. We gotta get ready for school.".

"Wake me up in fifty years." Her words were muffled by the pillow. Just then, C walked in the front door.

"C, Olivia won't get up," I complained.

"I got it," she said, smiling and reaching into her backpack.

"Wait, what are you-" I started to say, but it was too late. She pulled out an air horn and pressed down on the button, which was right near Olivia's ear.

It made an awfully loud screeching noise, and Olivia jumped up and fell off the couch to the floor.

"Damn it, C," she muttered, glaring up at her.

C just burst out laughing and ran to the kitchen.

"You okay?" I asked, offering a hand to help her up.

She took it and I pulled her up.

"I guess so," she grumbled.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "You wouldn't wake up."

"That's okay," she laughed. "I'll live."

"Good," I said, hugging her to make up for the air horn she got in her face. "Now go get ready for school." She grabbed her backpack and ran off to the bathroom.

I went to the kitchen, where C surprisingly wasn't completely zoned out. She was busy painting her nails gold.

"Why're ya painting your nails before school?" I asked her. "Won't they be wet?"

"They'll dry soon enough," she shrugged. Then Olivia came out of the bathroom with her hair neatly brushed out. Did I mention how gorgeous she is?

"Olivia," I whined, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "why do you gotta be so pretty?"

"Oh, shut up," she joked, kissing my cheek.

"Guys, save the mushy stuff for after school, please?" C interjected.

"Or maybe save it for a few more years," Darry suggested, entering the kitchen.

"C'mon, Darry," C replied, twisting the cap back on her gold nail polish. "Johnny and Olivia are happy together. That's a good thing. Maybe you should try to get together with this Helena girl."

"Who told you about that?" Darry demanded.

"Sodapop," she sang out. Darry rolled his eyes and left the room. "Ponyboy! Sodapop! Get up!" C called.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Soda cried, rushing into the kitchen and pulling on his DX shirt.

"Me too," Pony said groggily, following his brother.

About fifteen minutes later, Nadine, Hayley, and Adeline arrived, and we all walked to school. Nadine looked unusually happy since her breakup with Zack.

"What's got you so happy, Nay?" Ponyboy asked her.

"Oh, Zack decided to get back together with me even though I'm a greaser now! He said he really loved me and he didn't know what he was thinking, and then he kissed me! Isn't he so sweet?"

I saw the look on Pony's face, and it was not happy. "Yeah...sweet..." he replied. "I, uh, I gotta go. I'll see you guys...um, later." He sped up a bit so he was way in front of us and then he started walking slowly towards the school.

"I'll go talk to him," C sighed. She ran ahead of us and stopped next to Ponyboy. She started to talk to him, but we were way too far away to hear.

"Nadine!" Adeline shrieked.

"What?" Nadine asked, clearly confused.

"Ugh, nevermind," Hayley sighed.

Olivia and I walked in silence behind them, still holding hands.

After school that day, Ponyboy and C weren't waiting for Olivia and me at the school doors. I knew that they wouldn't be, though. C told me she was taking Pony for ice cream to try to cheer him up. She asked if Olivia and I wanted to come, but we thought we might make Ponyboy feel worse about this whole Nadine situation. As far as I could tell, he really liked her, and she probably just crushed his heart.

So Olivia and I walked to the lot together. We decided that we didn't want to bother the Curtises too much; we were always at their house anyway.

"Is Ponyboy gonna be okay?" Olivia asked suddenly when we got to the lot and sat down on the concrete.

"He'll forget about it eventually," I reassured her. "I just wish he'd find a girl he liked. Dallas, too. Maybe they'd be happier then."

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"Are you happy?"

"I've been a lot happier since you got here," I said, smiling at her.

"Aww..." she cried, giving me a hug. I hugged her back.

We just lay there, staring at the clouds for almost an hour just talking about life. Then a question started to creep into my brain...and I had to ask her. I just had to know.

"Hey, Olivia?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to...but what are your folks like?"

"My parents? Hate 'em."

"Why?...and again, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Same reason as you."

"They abuse you?" I sat up quickly.

"Well, it's more neglect mostly. But it's turned to abuse recently...that's why I'm not over at my house anymore."

"Do they hurt you?" Glory, this scared me. What if they abused her as bad as my parents did me?

"No, no, Johnny. It's not even that bad. It's just a smack, or a punch, or kick..."

"Well, I'm here for you. And I'm in the same boat as you, Olivia. So if you ever need help with anything, I'm here."

"Thanks, Johnny." I noticed she was shivering.

"You cold?"

"No, I'm good."

"Right." I pulled her closer to me and enveloped her in a hug. "C'mon, let's go home. Well...to Ponyboy's house."

"Sure," she said, still shivering.

"Golly, Olivia, you should've told me that you were cold."

"I'm fine."

I sighed and walked her back to the Curtis house. When we got through door, every single person from the gang was there except for Nadine. Adeline had her head in Sodapop's lap...wait, what? When did this happen? Glory, now I'm confused.

"Hey, guys," Soda smiled at us.

"Hey, man," I responded.

"What's going on?"

I shrugged. "Nothing really. How ya doing, Pony?"

He shrugged, too. "Fine."

"Guys, can I talk to you outside?" C asked. We nodded and followed her out to the porch.

"He really liked Nadine, huh?" Olivia asked quietly.

"I feel so bad for the kid," C whispered back. "He did really like her. And she's dating Zack again. That no good, idiotic..." she kicked the chair that was sitting on the porch.

"Okay, calm down," Johnny told her, leaning against the wall. "What are we gonna do?"

C shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

So we went back into the house and sat down on the couch, pretty much just moping around for an hour until Darry told us to start getting ready for bed.

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Who is that?" Adeline wondered, playing with Sodapop's hands.

C sighed, seeing nobody was going to get up, and opened the door. It was a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a dark jean jacket. She didn't have any makeup on, and she was a few inches shorter than C. She actually looked like her, too.

"Emily?" C asked, clearly confused.

"Corrin!" the girl shrieked, and hugged her.

"What are you doing here?" C asked her. "I thought you were living with Grandma and Papa in Virginia?"

"What the hell's going on here?" Dally demanded.

"Oh, um, this is my sister, Emily," C introduced us. "Emily, this is Dally, Johnny, Ponyboy, Darry, Sodapop, Adeline, Two-Bit, Steve, Hayley, and Olivia. Nadine's usually here too..."

Ponyboy usually flinched when someone mentioned Nadine. He'd been doing it all day today. But now, he didn't. He was completely focused on Emily...

Glory.

"I'm not gonna remember all that," Emily giggled.

"I'll help you out," C reassured her. "But you still didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Grandma and Papa got sick of me, I guess," she explained. "A few days ago, they just announced that I was moving to Tulsa."

"Um...okay..." her sister replied.

"Welcome to Tulsa, Oklahoma!" Ponyboy said, giving her a big smile. Emily smiled back and said, "thanks".

"You guys have school tomorrow," Darry called from the kitchen. "You better start getting to sleep."

"Okay, Darry," C said, rolling her eyes. "See ya guys tomorrow," she led her little sister out the door with her.

They left the house, and everyone else except the Curtis brothers, Olivia, and I left soon after.

"So, ya think Pony likes Emily?" Olivia giggled, purposefully talking loud enough for Ponyboy to hear her.

"Hey!" Pony shouted from his bedroom. I couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Don't deny it, you know it's true!" Olivia called back.

"Nyeah!" You could hear in his tone that he was sticking his tongue out, even though we couldn't see it.

"Go to sleep, guys! Nobody's gonna be able to get up for school or work tomorrow!" Darry commanded. His voice projected through the house.

"Goodnight," I called out to everyone in the house.

I heard everyone mutter "goodnight," back. And then the house was silent and dark. The only thing I could see was Olivia's bright red hair in front of me.

"Olivia?" I whispered. I had nothing to say, I just wanted to hear her voice.

"Yeah?" she whispered back. I pulled her closer to me, tightening my arm around her waist just a little bit.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she giggled. If I could see her face, I knew she'd be blushing. So was I.

"Goodnight, Olivia."

"Goodnight, Johnny." And she fell asleep in my arms.

_**(A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNNN...I do actually have a sister named Emily who's obsessed with Ponyboy and she begged to be in this story. So I, like the good sister I am, had to do it. Im sorry. ANyway, Emily has a fanfiction account. It's EmmyRox2011, I believe. She only has one story on there, and it's a Ben 10 one. I don't really encourage you to check it out...but hey, if you wanna, go for it. REVIEW PLEASE I LOVE DALLY OMG bye)**_


	18. Chapter 18

**_(A/N: Hey people. The story arc begins here. DUN DUN DUNNNN! I'm really happy because my ELA teacher has this poster of The Outsiders and I've always wanted to pet Dally on it because I love Dally, but I was always scared that I'd get in trouble but today we had a substitute so I PET DALLY AND I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED. YESSSSS. Okay, there's my rant of the day. Hope you like this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW. DO IT FOR JOHNNY. FOR JOHNNY. JOHNNY. JOHNNY CADE. kay bye)_**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Adeline's POV**

The other night was amazing. Sodapop and I talked until it was time for me to go back home. He even hugged me once! And when I lay in his lap, he didn't push me away! He just kept smiling his adorable smile, and every time I smiled back, he would giggle. Is it possible that he likes me? I mean, Sodapop Curtis does get chased around by a lot of girls, some that are way prettier than me. When I told this to Hayley, she smacked my head and yelled that I was gorgeous, but I didn't believe her.

I like most of the greaser gang. That fact was the complete opposite with the Socs when I was one of them. I hated most of the Socs, actually. Well, except for Joel. But now I hated him, too. But with the greasers, everything was real. Everyone's pretty much friends. We can talk to anyone about anything and they'll help you out. I got along with all of 'em real well.

But it looks like they'd been getting some new recruits to their gang one after another. I knew from when I was a Soc that it started with just the seven boys and C. Then, a few weeks ago, Olivia was added when she moved here from New York City. C told me that part. Last week, Nadine, Hayley and I joined, and now I guess C's little sister is here to stay.

We were still a little confused about her. The only thing C told us was that Emily was a year younger than her, making her fourteen. She was Ponyboy's age. Speaking of Ponyboy, I was kinda worried that Nay crushed him when she got back together with Zack. But fortunately, it seems like he likes Emily now.

I just hope Emily likes him back. It was actually pretty sad to see him crushed like that for a whole nine hours. But, hey, it's like Gwen Tennyson said in that one Ben 10 episode, "The thing about a crush is, sometimes you get crushed. Don't worry, there's lots of other girls out there". Yeah, that was true. I just hope it's not like that for Ponyboy and Emily. Or Sodapop and me for that matter. I admit, I'd probably break down crying if I found out Sodapop doesn't like me the way I like him. Immature, maybe, but true. Definitely true.

I decided to tell everyone that I usually walked home from school with that I would be going to the DX, so they didn't have to wait for me. I was going to see Sodapop. C insisted that she come with me, though, because being alone on the streets when you're a greaser is pretty much posting a sign on your head that says, "Hey, Socs, come and jump me!" She promised me that she'd simply be an escort; she would leave Sodapop and me alone. So I kicked her, and she stuck her tongue out and ran off.

"So, you like Sodapop, huh?" C teased as we headed off to the DX.

"Um, well..." I stuttered. I could feel my face heating up.

"You totally do!" C giggled.

"Maybe a little..." I admitted.

"Addie's got a crush! Addie's got a crush!" She sang.

"Do not."

"Do too! _So_ do!"

"So don't."

"Well, I think he likes you back," she told me.

"Really!?" I had a bit of trouble holding in my excitement, and I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Addie's got a crush!" she sang again. I took off my backpack and flung it at her. She caught it before it could hit her and burst out laughing.

"I guess I do," I admitted. There was no point in denying it.

We got to the gas station a few minutes later, where C left me and told me she'd be randomly running around and scaring some of the customers at the DX. I didn't know if it was such a good idea, but apparently she's been doing it for a while. I wasn't gonna question it. So I walked into the gas station, and the little bell above the door jingled. Sodapop looked up and smiled at me.

"Hey, Addiepop!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Um...what?" I asked, confused.

I noticed Sodapop blush as he said, "Oh, that's just a nickname I came up with. Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it!" I giggled. That nickname was pretty cute. Addiepop.

"How's your day been?" he asked casually.

"Mine's been okay, how's yours?"

"It's been good."

"Good!"

"So, listen, Addie," he said nervously, "Um...I was wondering if...uh...you'd wanna go out with me sometime?"

"Of course," I giggled. It was funny cuz he looked so nervous! And I can't believe he just asked me out! Oh my gosh! I would've probably jumped in the air with excitement if he wasn't standing right in front of me. I didn't want him to regret asking me out.

"Is tonight okay?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, um...well I finish working at six-thirty, so can I pick you up then?"

"That would be great!" I gushed. "Thank you so much, Sodapop!"

"No problem, Addiepop."

I giggled again. I'm giggling too much. "I like Addiepop. It's cute."

"Thanks! I didn't know how it would work, but glad to know you like it!" He smiled at me. His smile was so cute! I wanted to scream.

I smiled back. "Well, I'll see ya later, Soda."

"See ya, Addie."

And I left the DX. I started walking back to my house, which was on the Soc side of town. My parents weren't very happy that I turned into a "no-good, filthy hoodlum", but they couldn't do anything about it. My parents always acted very proud of me. They got me whatever I wanted, but I was starting to think maybe they only didn't that so they could show off the fact that they're rich.

As I was walking down the street to my house, a very familiar blue mustang pulled up next to me. Before I could react, the drive jumped out from behind the wheel and shouted my name.

"What do you want, Joel?" I called back.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He demanded, looking over my new greaser outfit.

"I told you already, Joel. I'm a greaser now!"

He sighed. "Adeline, I made a mistake. I'm sorry. If you'll take me back, I promise I'll never get drunk again!"

"Where have I heard this speech before?" I asked sarcastically. Joel said this to me every time I threatened to break up with him.

"But..."

"Joel, I don't wanna hear it."

"Can't we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about!"

"C'mon, it's not like you're dating anyone!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Are you?"

"Actually, yeah."

"What? Who?!"

"None of your business," I snapped. "I'm going home now." I spun on my heel and stormed away, leaving Joel with his mouth hanging open.

I got to my house and immediately started my homework for the weekend. As I was trying to remember who the main writer of the Declaration of Independence was, the phone rang. Since both of my parents were at work, that meant I would have to get it. I rolled off the couch and ran to the kitchen, picking up the red phone.

"Hello?"

"ADELINE, YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH SODAPOP!?" Nadine and Hayley shrieked.

"Jesus, you guys are gonna bust my eardrums," I joked.

"Is it true?" Nadine asked.

"Yes," I answered, feeling my face heat up.

"Aww!" They cooed simultaneously.

"Aw, shut up, guys."

"This is big news, Addie!" Hayley cried. "Everyone's in love with Sodapop! But he's dating you!"

"I know, I'm actually really happy!" I said smiling.

"Well, good for you, Addie!" Nadine cried. "We'll let you get ready. See ya later!"

"Bye!" Hayley added.

"Bye!" I repeated them. As I hung up, I remembered that the main writer of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson.

An hour and a half later, I had all my homework done, and I was checking myself in the mirror to make sure I didn't look like crap. My hair was straightened and brushed out really good. I don't think I've ever spent more time doing my hair, not even with Joel. I didn't go crazy with makeup, only light mascara and eyeliner, but I thought it looked okay.

Then the doorbell rang.

I glanced at the clock. It was six-thirty exactly. Sodapop was punctual. I quickly pulled on my jacket and ran to the front door.

Sodapop was standing in the doorway, his hair neatly combed. He had on a nicer shirt and pants. I thought it was pretty cute.

"Adeline!" he cried, giving me a movie star smile. "You look really pretty!"

I blushed and hugged him to try to hide that fact. "Thanks, you look pretty good too!"

He laughed and hugged me back. "Thanks. Ya ready to go?"

"Yeah! I said, grabbing my small black purse. I only carried it because I had some money in it, along a few random pens and mints and stuff like that.

I made sure I locked the door on our way out, and then we were walking to Darry's truck. Sodapop reassured me that Darry knew we had his car, and he didn't need it anyway. So we got in and buckled up.

"Where are we going?" I wondered.

"Dairy Queen. Is that okay?"

"That's great!"

"Okay, good," he said nervously. He was nervous! I couldn't help but think it was completely adorable.

Dairy Queen wasn't that far away, so a few minutes later we pulled into the parking lot. When we got out of the car, Sodapop took my hand. I giggled.

At Dairy Queen, I ordered what I usually ordered, and Sodapop ordered what he usually ordered. We had a great time talking and laughing and "accidentally" flinging ice cream across the room at some Socs.

And then I noticed that one of the Socs we were flinging ice cream at was Joel. I looked down and pretended not to see him, but he saw me.

"Adeline?! Are you going out with Sodapop!?"

"Joel! Shut up!" I cried, blushing. He pretty much screamed that out. Anyone at Dairy Queen who didn't know definetly would now.

"What the hell do you see in him? He's a filthy greaser! Oh, wait. I forgot you liked them."

"He's a million times better than you'll ever be!" I shouted. "He's not going around getting drunk every day! He knows how to treat people with respect!"

"What are you saying?" he asked me.

"You know what I'm saying."

"Whatever. I never liked you anyway! You're a freakin' bitch! Good luck with Soda. You'll need it!" And with that, he stormed out of Dairy Queen.

I turned to Sodapop. "I'm so, so sorry about him. I—"

Soda smiled and put an arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Addie. Nothing he said was true."

I sighed. "Thanks, Soda."

"No problem! You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, c'mon." We stood up, throwing out our garbage, and went outside. Instead of going to the truck right away though, we sat on the bench outside and looked at the stars. There were a lot of stars. I usually don't notice things like that. I'm actually usually too busy to care. But now it's different. The sky looks pretty all midnight blue with the bright stars. I didn't even realize I was smiling up at the whole scene until Soda put an arm around me.

"Pretty, huh?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Hey, just like you!" Soda laughed.

"Yeah, I don't think so," I replied.

What are you talking about?" Soda cried. "Yes you are!"

I stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and pulled me closer to him, so I hugged him around his waist as he played with my hair.

We sat like that for a while, just staring at the stars and hugging. We hadn't known each other that long, but I really liked him. I meant everything I said to Joel before. Sodapop might've been a greaser, but at least he knew how to make everyone smile and have a good time. He made everyone feel loved. Then I remembered that Darry told Sodapop he had to be home by nine that night. I quickly glanced at my watch.

"Oh, darn, Soda, it's eight fifty-five!" I told him.

"Really? Damn!" he muttered. "Well, we better get going then."

"Sure," I said. We got up from the bench.

"Race ya!" Soda shouted, taking off towards the car.

"What? Soda!" I cried, chasing after him. .

He beat me to the car, but I think it's only because he got a head start. We drove home quickly, but we were still joking, talking, and laughing. It was the most fun I've had in a while.

When the truck pulled into my driveway, I didn't want to go. I knew I had to, though, or Sodapop might get in trouble with Darry. I gave him a hug before I climbed out of the truck.

"Thanks, Soda, this was really fun!"

"No problem," he said, hugging me back and kissing me on the top of my head. I felt myself blush.

"See ya, Soda!" I said, giving him a big smile.

"Bye," he replied, his white teeth sparkling as he smiled. I ran into my house and noticed he left only when he was sure I was safe inside.

I knew my parents wouldn't be home until nine-thirty, so when I turned around to see people staring at me, it scared be quite a bit.

"Olivia! C! What the hell?!"

"How did your date with Sodapop go?" Olivia asked excitedly.

"Guys! How did you even get in here?"

"We have our ways..." Olivia answered.

"Meaning," C explained, "you forgot something at the Curtis house so we came to give it to you. Your door was wide open. We knew you weren't home, so..."

"My door was open!?" I exclaimed. "I know I locked it before I went with Sodapop, he even reminded me!" C looked worried.

"We literally just got here."

"Should we make sure no one's around?" Olivia asked nervously.

"That would be the best thing to do," I nodded. "Wait!" I ran to the garage, where I knew my favorite blue baseball bat would be. I knew Olivia and C both had switchblades, too, so we were protected in case something was actually wrong.

"You're seriously taking a baseball bat?" C asked me, her voice shaking.

"Calm, down, C," I said. "It's probably nothing."

"What if it's not?" she cried, pulling her switchblade out and fiddling with it.

"Everyone, relax," Olivia said quietly, "you're scaring me."

"Let's go," I whispered.

We started looking around the first floor of the house. So far, everything looked completely untouched.

"What about the basement?" I asked when nothing turned up on the first floor. We crept into the basement. Olivia and I both had a flashlight, and C nervously trailed behind us.

"I don't like basements," she complained.

"Why?" I asked.

"Cuz there might be spiders!"

"I hate spiders!" Olivia shrieked.

"Oh, please," I said. "Spiders are not scary. Hey, C, where's Emily?" I just remembered her sister now.

"She's with Ponyboy," she whispered. "He's helping her with homework."

"They _so_ like each other," Olivia giggled despite our situation. We got to the ground of the basement and started looking around with flashlights shining everywhere.

"I think so, too," I agreed. C shrugged.

"And C likes Dallas," Olivia added.

"What?!" C shrieked from behind us.

"C'mon, you know it's true!" Olivia cried.

"It is not! I don't like Dally! Not like that!"

"Right," I said sarcastically. "And I don't like Sodapop!"

"Yes you do," C countered.

"Exactly," I laughed. "Just like you _say_ you don't like Dally."

"She does," Olivia giggled again.

"Can we just get outta here?" C exclaimed. "There might be spiders everywhere and we don't know it!"

"Way to avoid the situation," Olivia said. C just crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"I bet Dally would think that's real cute, C."

"Shut up!"

"Fine, Jesus Christ!"

I shined my flashlight into the last corner of the basement. And Olivia and C screamed at the same time.

"Oh, please," I said, noticing the spider they were screaming about. It was a bigger spider, sure, but nothing to scream about.

"Oh, come on, ya babies," I said, retreating back towards the staircase. Olivia and C followed close behind.

When we got up the stairs, I glanced at the clock. "Crap, my parents are gonna be home soon," I complained, seeing that it was five minutes away from nine-thirty.

"Well, we better get—" Olivia started to say.

And a large crash interrupted her from upstairs.

"What was that?" C asked slowly, her eyes widening.

"That came from my bedroom..." I whispered.

The three of us raced up the stairs and slowly approached my room. This was scary. Scarier than spiders. Much scarier. I threw open my bedroom door and stopped dead in my tracks.

"Oh...my...gosh..." Olivia whispered slowly from behind me.

My room was trashed. Clothes from my closet were everywhere, drawers were opened up and had fallen onto the floor, spilling pants and socks. The blankets that were usually neatly made on the bed where in a tangled bundle on the floor, and my makeup and jewelry bins were emptied out and thrown everywhere. My lamp and TV were both tipped over, and the large mirror where I did my hair and makeup everyday was cracked right down the middle.

Most importantly, there was a figure completely dressed in black in the corner of my room. He had one of my baseball bats from the garage, my bright green one. The three of us screamed. But before any of us could react anymore, he lifted the baseball bat and smashed my window. He jumped out into the cool night.

"Jesus, Adeline!" Olivia shrieked. "Who the hell was that?!"

"I have absolutely no idea," I replied, putting a hand on my chest to try to calm my frantic heartbeat.

"Adeline! What's going on?" A new voice called from the doorway. I spun around to see my mother, who had her hair neatly brushed and makeup smudged slightly from a long day at work. "Who are these girls?"

"Mom, this is Olivia and C, which is short for Corrin."

"Did they make this mess?"

"No, Mom! They're my friends! They were helping me try to catch whoever was in my room!"

"There was someone in here?"

"Yeah, Mom, but I have no idea who it was! They trashed my room!"

She bit her lip nervously. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie! Don't worry, we'll replace everything. And thank you girls for helping," she turned to Olivia and C. My mom wasn't like most Socs, she was nice to greasers when they deserved it. Most Soc parents thought that greasers were filthy, no-good hoods.

C smiled, but the worry in her eyes was still present. "No problem, we're happy to help."

"Yeah, well, we should probably be going," Olivia announced. "See ya later, Addie." C waved and they both left my room.

"Be careful on the way back!" I shouted after them. Those two were stupid to walk on the Soc side of town late at night being greasers.

"Sure thing!" Olivia called back, and I heard the front door close.

"Well, just try to straighten up your room a little bit, I guess," my mom suggested, ruffling my hair. I nodded in response, saying goodnight as she left the room. The only thing I did was pick my blankets off the floor and throw them so they were flat on the bed. I pulled the curtains over my smashed window, which was blowing cold air into the room. I would probably be freezing tonight because of that.

Suddenly, a wave of tiredness rushed over me. I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, still in my clothes. I wrapped the blankets tightly around me, and my last thoughts before I fell asleep for the night were about Sodapop Curtis.


	19. Chapter 19

_**(A/N: I messed up some of the formatting, like the indenting and stuff. I don't know what happened, sorry. Well, it's been a crappy week for me, so I hope you enjoyed yours.)**_

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Emily's POV**

I guess I'm living in Tulsa with my older sister, Corrin, now. All of her other friends call her C, but I've called her Corrin all my life. I think I'll just stick with that for now.

Grandma and Papa didn't even give me any warning when they told me I was moving back with Mom, Dad, and Corrin. It was a normal Monday where I was all packed up and ready to go to school. While I was eating cereal for breakfast, my Grandma just came in and said today would be my last day at my middle school and tomorrow would be my last day in Virginia.

Don't get me wrong, I was excited to see Corrin again. I hadn't seen her since she moved to Tulsa with Mom and Dad about a year and a half ago. Mom and Dad though, I wasn't too excited to see. They never cared about us much when we were all living together. They never cared where we went or what we did. The only thing they even said to me when I knocked on the door when I first got here was, "Corrin's next door. Go find her."

Apparently, Corrin had made a bunch of friends while living in Tulsa. There was Olivia, Adeline, Hayley and Nadine. And then there was seven boys that I couldn't remember the names of.

Well, except for Ponyboy Curtis.

I was never interested in boys, but this Ponyboy was really something. He was smart, and caring, and I'll even admit he's pretty cute. He's my age, too, except he's a grade ahead of me because he's just that smart. He was really nice, too. So far he'd been doing his best at making me feel welcome.

When Corrin and I went home that first night, I had to ask her something.

_"Corrin?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Is...is...um...Ponyboy...is he...uh...dating anyone?" I asked nervously._

_Corrin laughed a little. "Nope. Why? You like him?"_

_"No! I mean, he just, umm...seems nice. That's all."_

_"Right..." Corrin giggled._

So one day I was just sitting around the house doing nothing. Mom and Dad were both at work, and Corrin was brushing her hair upstairs in her room. I was just glad I got to have my own room. When we all lived together in Virginia, Corrin and I had to share a room. There wasn't much space to begin with, so it was just really cramped. Now we had small rooms, but we had our own space.

Corrin bounced down the stairs about five minutes later with her hair neatly brushed out. I couldn't remember the last time Corrin actually brushed her hair. Usually, she didn't care about it. "It's just hair. It looks fine," she'd say when I'd ask her about it back in Virginia.

"C'mon, we're going over to the Curtis'," Corrin told me cheerfully.

"What? Why?" I asked, bouncing up from the couch.

"I don't know. Aren't you bored?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Ponyboy's gonna be there…"

"I'm coming!"

"C'mon!" She cried, grabbing her leather jacket from the chair next to her. I followed her out the door. It was starting to get dark, but it was a Friday night, so I was hoping Ponyboy would be up.

And sure enough, he was. Ponyboy and Olivia were both in the living room, and Johnny and Darry were in the kitchen. Everyone else was somewhere else.

"Hey!" Corrin called out to them, flashing a big smile. Corrin sat down on the floor next to Olivia, and I sat next to Ponyboy.

"Having fun?" I asked him, motioning to the homework in his lap.

"Sure," he laughed. Suddenly, I remembered that I had homework to do, too. I'd just started at the middle school in Tulsa today.

"My homework is hard," I complained, mostly to myself.

"Want me to help you?" he asked, looking up from the notebook in his lap.

"Would you?"

"Sure!"

I quickly ran home to grab my math homework. It was on the kitchen table, along with my pencil. Then I rushed back over to the Curtis house.

Corrin and Olivia were walking out the door as I was walking in.

"Where are you guys going?"

Olivia shrugged. "Addie forgot something so we have to go give it to her."

"Okay...be careful." I wasn't too sure about this whole greaser versus Soc thing, but all I know is that Corrin told me that I better not walk alone at any time of the day.

"Kay, see ya," Corrin said, walking off with Olivia .

I went inside and sat back down next to Ponyboy, who had just finished his homework and was putting it away. I showed him _my_ homework.

"Oh, this is easy!" Ponyboy exclaimed.

"Well, of course it is to you. You're a genius."

"Nah, I'm really not."

"Yes, you are."

Ponyboy was blushing. I giggled. He was really cute. Oh, god, I have to stop thinking like that. What if he doesn't like me? I don't even want to think about that.

"Well, you can do this." He explained how to divide negative numbers and decimals, and he did it pretty well, too. By the time he was done, I completely understood everything. So I quickly finished my homework.

"Thanks, Pony! Now I don't have anything to do over the weekend!"

"No problem, M&M."

"M&M?" I giggled.

"It's a cute nickname," He shrugged.

"It is," I agreed.

"So can I use it?"

"Of course!"

"Cool! So how do you like Tulsa so far ?

"It's not too bad," I said honestly. "I'm just glad I have a lot of people to talk to. I thought it would just be Corrin."

"What's wrong with just C?"

"Nothing. I mean, I'm just glad to have more friends."

"I gotcha," he nodded, understanding. "I love Darry and Sodapop. They're the best. But I couldn't imagine life without the rest of the gang, too."

"Well, your gang is great," I laughed. "They're all really fun to be around."

"They are," he agreed, his green eyes sparkling. "Darry can be a pain sometimes, and Dally is more of a hood than a greaser. I'm not really sure how much Steve likes me either," he admitted, his face falling a bit. "But without one of them in the gang, we wouldn't be a gang. And we added a bunch of new girls, too!"

"These girls are so pretty," I found the words tumbling out of my mouth before I processed them in my head.

"So are you!" Pony smiled. I blushed like crazy. Did he actually mean that? It would be amazing if he did. But Ponyboy is just a nice kid. He gives out compliments all the time. He probably didn't mean that. Just then, Johnny came out of the kitchen.

"Are Olivia and C back yet?" he wondered.

"No…they left a while ago," Pony said, worry creeping into his eyes.

"They'll be fine, Johnny. Don't worry about it," I reassured him. I wasn't that close to Johnny yet, but Corrin told me that he was a nervous wreck after he got jumped bad a while ago. I figured the best thing to do was reassure him.

"Oh, they're so lucky Dal isn't here right now," Johnny said, pacing around the room. "He would kill them."

"Why?" I asked.

"He's always worryin' about them."

"Dally? Worried?" Ponyboy laughed. "Right."

"I'm serious, Pony. Dally's been worrying about a lot of stuff lately."

"Dally? Dally Winston? The legendary 'cold, hard, not-a-care-in-the-world hood is _worried_ about a couple a _kids_?"

Johnny shrugged. "I guess, man. I think he likes someone though. Like, a girl."

"Really? Who?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not sure. So I'm not gonna say anything."

"What? Johnny! C'mon, man, you can't do that!" Ponyboy complained.

Johnny finally stopped pacing and sat down on the couch. "Well, I can't tell you with Emily in the room," he said.

"What? Why? M&M's cool!" Pony laughed, draping an arm over my shoulders. I blushed insanely red.

"Well, do you think she wants to know that it's probably _her sister_?"

"C?" Ponyboy asked. "Seriously?"

"I really don't know for sure, man. But I honestly hope so. He needs someone to watch out for him. And Corrin would be perfect. She'll keep him out of trouble."

"Nobody can keep Dallas out of trouble," Pony scoffed. "But I hope you're right. Maybe Dally wouldn't be so mopey all the time if he had a girlfriend."

"He's not mopey all the time, Pony."

"I know, man. Dally's cool."

Just then, Corrin and Olivia burst through the door, panting as if they'd been running. Johnny immediately jumped off the couch to greet his girlfriend.

"Are you guys okay?" He cried.

Olivia and Corrin glanced at each other and both nodded.

"We're good," Olivia reassured him.

"Are you sure?"

"Relax, Johnny," Corrin sighed, collapsing on to the floor next to me.

"What happened?" he demanded, pulling Olivia in for a hug.

"We just thought a mustang was trailing us. Nothing even happened," Olivia said calmly.

"Yeah. Calm down," Corrin chimed in.

"It wasn't really a smart idea to go out there alone at night, though," Johnny said quietly, pulling Olivia down on the couch next to him.

"Yeah, yeah, we're stupid, we know," Corrin sighed.

"What else happened?" Ponyboy asked us.

"What do you mean?" Olivia looked confused.

"You know what I mean. What did you not tell us?"

"Oh, well someone trashed Adeline's house…well, just her bedroom," Corrin informed us.

"Seriously? Who was it?" I asked.

"You really think they'd let us know that?" Corrin snapped.

"Well, maybe…"

"No," Corrin snapped again.

"Okay, jeeze," I surrendered. There was no point of arguing with Corrin when she was grumpy. I don't know what made her so cranky, but whatever.

"Well, we're going home before Corrin screams at someone too much and has a temper tantrum."

"I haven't had a temper tantrum in a year!"

"C, you just had a temper tantrum yesterday," Ponyboy laughed.

"Did not!"

"Yes, you did."

"About what?"

"I remember that," Olivia chimed in. "It was about whether or not you liked Dally!"

"Olivia!"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Wait, _do_ you like Dally?" Ponyboy asked her.

"Olivia! See what you started!"

"Answer the question, Corrin."

I stared at Corrin along with everyone else. I knew she wasn't big on guys. She also wasn't big admitting her feelings, though, even to herself. She'd spend a while trying to deny it to herself even though she knows she feels one way about something.

"What?! No I don't! Well…I mean…" She heaved a sigh and put her head in her hands. "I don't know, guys," she muttered.

"I don't know! That's not a no! That could be a yes!" Olivia squealed.

"Shut up, Liv," Corrin grumbled. "I mean, of course I love him. He's like my brother."

"But do you _love_ love him? Like, as in, _looove_ him?" Olivia asked, dragging out "love".

"Olivia!"

"Do you?!"

She stood up, shrugging into her black leather jacket. "Even if I _did_ like Dally…I'm not saying I do, but if I _did_…he probably wouldn't like me back. Not like that."

"What are you guys talking about?" Darry asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"C loves Dally!" Olivia shrieked.

"No, I don't! Shut up!" Corrin shouted.

"And I think Ponyboy and Emily like each other too!" Olivia added. "It's so cute! Love is everywhere!"

"Wait, what?!" Pony and I shrieked at the same time.

"Oh, don't deny it, guys, it's obvious!" Corrin giggled.

"Don't even get into this, Corrin," I glared at her. "You like Dally."

"No! Shut up!"

"You want me to tell Dal that?" Olivia asked.

"No, don't!"

"Cuz you really love him?"

"C'mon, Em, we're going home now!" she said.

"No, you're staying here. This is funny." Darry was actually laughing. Corrin told me that Darry never laughs!

"I know how to settle this," Olivia announced.

"How?" I groaned. Olivia was the love freak. This wouldn't be good.

"Let's ask Johnny! Johnny, what do you think?"

He looked surprised to have to actually say something. "What do I think about what?"

"Do you think Ponyboy and Emily like each other?"

"Why do I gotta be dragged into this?"

"Cuz your opinion matters."

"Yeah, I do. Happy?"

"And do you think C likes Dally?" Corrin crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Well…uh, yeah, I do."

"I'm leaving!" Corrin cried. She stormed out the door.

"She lies," Olivia stated. "She loves him."

"Alright, Olivia, calm down," Johnny told her, laughing at her excitement.

"Well, uh, maybe I should get going too, then," I said.

"No, can't you stay longer? Please?" Pony begged. Olivia burst out laughing.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Fine, I'll stay."

Darry announced that he was going to bed, but everyone else could stay up as long as they weren't too loud and didn't trash the house or something like that. I don't think any of us would've trashed the house, though. We were all the good kids.

Olivia was still in her crazy love mode. The whole time she just lay there talking about Corras—the couple name Olivia came up with for Corrin and Dallas—and Ponily—the one she came up with for Pony and Emily. It was kinda weird for Pony and me, because we were both sitting right there listening to her. After a while though, Pony and I stopped denying it. I stopped because I realized it was true—I _did_ like Ponyboy. I don't know if that's why Pony stopped too, but I thought it was probably just because he was sick of arguing over it.

Or at least, that's what I thought before he asked if he could talk to me in the kitchen.

When he asked me, Olivia started laughing again, and Ponyboy glared at her until she started pouting. I followed him into the kitchen, where I heard Olivia burst out into laughter again.

"I'm really sorry about her," Ponyboy told me, blushing.

"No, it's okay. Corrin told me she's always like this."

"She is, actually. She's in love with love. Oh, and Johnnycake."

"Yeah, I've noticed," I giggled.

"Well, um…I just wanted to ask you…" he trailed off.

"What? You can ask me anything, Pony," I told him.

"Well, I've, uh, never done this before…but you're really pretty and nice. I like you. Will you go out with me?"

I was stunned. I couldn't believe he asked me out. Ponyboy Curtis asked me out. "Of course! I really like you, too, Pony."

"You do?"

"Yeah! You're the nicest one of the gang," I admitted.

"Well, thanks, M&M. You're cute."

"So are you."

Pony laughed and put an arm around my shoulders. We went back into the living room, where Olivia's eyes were wide.

"Did you ask her?" Olivia squealed.

"Calm down, Olivia. Yeah."

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! Ponily! This is gonna be so cute. Now we just need to get Corras on track! Oh, wait! I gotta go tell Corrin! C'mon, Johnny!"

"Ugh, coming." Olivia grabbed his hand and dragged him off the couch, and they flew out the door. Well, Olivia did. Johnny trudged after her.

"So…" I said. I didn't know what to say. Olivia and Johnny just left us alone, and I had a feeling they meant to do it.

"You tired?" Pony asked me. I didn't really think about it before, but I actually was really tired. I yawned.

"A little bit."

"Wanna stay over here tonight?"

"Sure. As long as you want me to."

"I do."

He set up the floor with a bunch of blankets in case someone else wanted to take the other couch. We laid down next to each other and held hands. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was Olivia and Johnny coming back into the house.

"Aww!" Olivia said. "They're holding hands!"

"Shh, Olivia. They're asleep."

"Sorry," she whispered. They laid down on the couch, and then I fell asleep.

_**(A/N: Yes, I realize "Ponily" happened pretty quickly, but my sister would not shut up about it and she was getting annoying to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore. Anyway, I hope she's happy. Review, I guess. Thank you so much for reading. **_

_**YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I WANNA PIN DALLY TO A WALL AND KISS HIM FOR HOURS STRAIGHT LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.**_

_**Kay I'm done for now. Next chapter is the most embarrassing...k nevermind. You have to wait to read that one! Alright I hope you liked this or whatever. I'm sure nobody even reads these things so I'm wasting my time typing them out. Anyway, please review. DO IT FOR JOHNNY.)**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_(A/N: The embarrassing chapter...my only comment is going to be that my two amazing friends wrote like three quarters of this chapter and think its hilarious. I'd have to disagree. That would explain all stuff that you don't normally see in here...hope you like it. Please review.)_**

**Chapter Twenty**

**C's POV**

"Hey, are you up, C?" Dally asked while gently shaking me.

"Huh?" I sat up to look at him, and he looked really worried. It was morning. The sun was shining through my window and the sky was blue. But I felt awful. My stomach hurt and I felt really dizzy. "How did you get in here?"

"Uh…your window was open, but I closed it for you." I suddenly felt really nauseous.

"Oh...uh...I...um...I need to...go to the bathroom!"

"You okay?"

"No...I-" and then, I did the unthinkable. I threw up on Dallas Winston. "Oh my god! I-I am so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, C...just...just go...get uh...cleaned up...or whatever."

"I...um...okay..." Trembling, I walked to my bathroom and washed out my mouth. Ugh. I can't believe I just did that. I am an idiot. A complete and total idiot. Wait till Olivia hears about this. I walked back into my bedroom and guess what I see? Dally was sitting on my bed. Shirtless. Oh god, Corrin. Ignore it. Ignore it. Don't look.

"It was um...it had, that stuff on it...I'll just um, wash it when I go home..." he explained.

"O-Okay. I-I'm really sorry..." I sat down on the bed next to him.

"Don't worry about it. Are you feelin' okay?" Dally asked as he put his hand on my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. I felt a little better than earlier, but I was still dizzy. I knew I was sick but I don't like to ever admit it.

"No, you're not. You're burning up." Dally said putting his hand back down and onto mine.

"No, I'm not! Dally, I have to go to school tomorrow!"

"Jesus Christ. Corrin, you can't."

"Why does everything always happen to me?!"

"Jesus, are you on your period or somethin'?"

"Dally!" I screamed, my face getting red.

"What? It's just a question!"

"Ugh! I'm goin' to school tomorrow. And you can't stop me, so _ha_!"

"_I_ can't stop _you_? Funny, kid. C, I'll lock you in here. All day long. You're not goin' to school tomorrow."

"I'll climb out the window!"

"What the hell, kid? Why are you so desperate to go to school? School, C, school."

"I can't miss school! Then I miss lessons, and have to make up work!" I whined and Dal rolled his eyes at me.

"Wow. You're something."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, C, just...nothing. I gotta go but I'll come to check on you later. Don't you dare leave this room, ya hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, geez." After I heard the door close, I threw on my leather jacket and opened the window again, climbing out. I started to walk over to the Curtis's, just to prove that nobody can tell me what to do. When I walked in the door, everyone was just sitting around.

"Ugh, I don't wanna get the mail. Soda, you and Adeline do it!" Ponyboy whined. Then Olivia and Adeline started laughing, practically dying on the floor. Glory.

"You two find somethin' dirty in every sentence!"

"Yeah, sixty-nine percent of people do!" Adeline nodded.

"Yep, those are our girls!" Johnny said sarcastically.

"You love it. You _all_ love it!" Olivia exclaimed

"Yeah, we love it alright." I snorted.

"C, you look like crap," Adeline pointed out.

"Wow, thanks Adeline. Love you too." I said sarcastically.

"Sorry. Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really. But oh well!" I smiled

"Corrin!"

"What?!"

"You...you...gah. You know what, never mind!" Adeline said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Okay!" Then, Dally walked out of the kitchen with a beer bottle. I cringed. This might not turn out well.

"Corrin!" He roared

"Heh...Corrin's not here right now! Please _don't_ leave a message at the tone!" I stuttered.

"Aca-Awkwarrrrd." Olivia and Adeline said simultaneously.

"What?" Pony asked.

"Ha, nothin'."

"Uh, alright."

"You are gonna get it, C!" Dally yelled and ran after me after I started out the door.

"Get what? The D?!" Adeline yelled, and I could still hear them laughing. Really, can you be any more immature? That's not even funny. That's wrong. I ran to the vacant lot. Oh no! Crap. Dally was coming towards me! Umm...think, C…think. I whipped my hands around nervously until I cupped my hands over my face and just sat there.

"C!" He yelled. Just ignore him. If I just ignore him, he'll go away. If I can't see him, he can't see me! "Corrin, I can see you," he said. Dammit!

"No, you can't!"

"Corrin." He sighed and pulled my hands away from my face. I shut my eyes tight. "C, I will pull your eyelids up if you don't open your damn eyes."

"No you won't."

"Wanna bet?"

"No."

"Good. Then open. Your. Eyes."

"Or not."

"C! We can do this the easy way, or _my _way."

"Or, I could sit here, and you could sit here and you could ignore me! I like that option!"

"Alright. My way it is." He sighed and started tickling me. No, no, no! Resist! Resist! But I move my hands away to swat his for half a second, and he caught my arms. No!

"Corrin, you seriously snuck out of your room through the window?"

"Um...no?"

"Yes you did! I can't believe you!"

"You're really contradicting yourself, Dal."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

"Fine. But go home, C."

"But it's so boring in my room!" I complained over-dramatically.

"C, I told you that I'd come and check on you!"

"Ugh, fine. Geez." I said, sitting up and dusting myself off. Dally helped me to my feet.

"You're a freakin' pain in the ass, kid, you know that?" He started leading me back to my house.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. My headache was starting to come back and my stomach felt weird.

Dally looked back at me. "Woah. C'mon, you're going to sleep."

"What? Why?"

"Cuz you're sick. Now let's go."

"I'm not sick, Dallas."

"Right," he scoffed. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my house.

When we got there, the door was locked. "Damn it. I should leave the door unlocked at night," I groaned.

"No, you shouldn't. That's not safe at all! Where is your brain?"

"Not in my head," I muttered. He rolled his eyes.

"Can you climb up the tree? I can try to pick the lock if you want..."

"Nah, I'll climb the tree," I said, walking to the backyard.

When I got up to my room, my head was pounding. I was lucky I even made it up the tree. Dally came through the window behind me. I felt my stomach lurch.

"I'll be right back," I said quickly, rushing to the bathroom. I got to the toilet in time this time, and I quickly pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. When I was done, I flushed the toilet and took a deep breath. Then I didn't feel like getting up. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail, closed the toilet seat, and pressed my forehead against the cool plastic.

"C, you okay, kid?" Dally asked me from outside the bathroom door.

"Uh huh," I said, my voice muffled.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh huh," I repeated. He pushed the door open and immediately kneeled down next to me.

"C'mon, you gotta get to bed."

"I don't wanna get up," I groaned.

"I think you'll be more comfortable in your bed than on the toilet seat." True. I didn't respond though, so he gently pulled me up and dragged me to my bedroom.

"You look like shit," he commented.

"Wow, thanks," I said sarcastically, collapsing onto my bed.

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you just look really tired. And sick."

"I know, Dal."

He sat down next to me on the bed and put a cool hand to my forehead. I closed my eyes. It felt good.

"You're really burnin' up, C."

I nodded, my eyes still closed. The sun coming through the window was real annoying. But I didn't have curtains on my windows, so I'd have to deal with it.

"Thanks, Dally, but you should go. I don't wanna get you sick."

"I'm afraid if I leave you'll get up again," he said, removing his hand from my forehead.

"I don't even feel good enough to sit up right now, Dal." I pulled the blankets over my head.

"Well, just get to sleep, alright? It'll help you feel better. You look like you didn't get much sleep last night at all." I stayed silent. "Wait, how many hours did you sleep last night?"

I thought about my answer for a second. I actually probably got two hours. But it wasn't my fault. I blame it on Olivia, in fact. She's the one that started talking about how I "loved" Dally. This got me thinking. Do I love Dally? I mean, yeah, I love him like a brother. But do I love him more than that? I spent most of the night trying to deny it. But in the end, I couldn't. I had to resign to the fact that I did love Dallas Winston. And that confused me. I didn't usually like guys. And Dally was a hood. But he was real nice to me and Johnny, and I think he's been nicer to the whole gang in general lately. I did. I did love Dally. Of course, I couldn't tell him that. There is no possible way he'd love me back...not like that.

"Seven hours," I lied.

"Nice try," he laughed. "Don't lie to me." Why could he always tell when I was lying? He always could. Ever since I met him, he knew when I was lying to him.

"Five hours." I went down a little. He glared at me. "Two hours," I admitted.

"God dammit, Corrin! Why?" I couldn't tell him why.

"I couldn't sleep," I shrugged.

"Why?"

"Ya think I know? I just couldn't!"

"Don't get wise."

"Sorry."

"Now go to sleep," he commanded. I wanted to protest, but I couldn't. My eyes closed, and the last thing I remember before I fell asleep was Dally saying, "and just for the record, you're not going to school tomorrow." I could tell he was smirking.

When I woke up, it was dark outside. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was five in the morning. That's usually the time I get up for school. But as I sat up, I felt really dizzy. I instantly lay back down. This could not be happening. I had to go to school today! I couldn't miss it. I had a math test tomorrow. I was awful at math. I need this last review day! Damn it all.

I decided that I wasn't gonna let some stupid dizziness ruin my perfect attendance record. I got out of bed, ignoring the spinning room, and stumbled to the bathroom. I turned on the sink, splashing cold water in my face to try to wake myself up. I looked pale. Less tired, but pale. My lips had no color in them. The room started spinning and I quickly put my head down on the bathroom counter until it went away.

I got dressed quickly in normal jeans and t-shirt with the leather jacket over it. I quickly brushed my teeth and hair, too. And I rushed down the stairs. I didn't eat breakfast, because I don't feel like it on school days. I packed a sandwich for lunch and put everything in my backpack. I was zipping it up when Emily came downstairs.

"Hey, Corrin. I thought Dally said you weren't going to school today."

"Dally doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Really? He was pretty sure...he said you were really sick."

"I'm fine, Emily," I snapped.

"Okay, jeeze. Just don't come cryin' to me if Dally kills you."

"He won't."

"Okay..." Emily trailed off, leaving the kitchen.

By the time it was time to leave for school, I'd actually thrown up once already. Emily told me that Dally wasn't at the Curtis house, so I went over there to walk to school with everyone.

The second I walked into the house, Olivia, Ponyboy, and Sodapop all asked me what the hell was wrong with me. Except of course, Sodapop and Ponyboy put it much nicer. But Olivia smiled sweetly and gave me a hug, so it was okay. I told all three of them I was fine. None of them actually believed me, I mean, how could they? I looked awful. But they all dropped the subject thankfully.

The cool air felt a little bit better as I was walking to school. I made sure to take deep breaths of it to try to keep the dizziness away. I would have to survive a whole eight hours at school.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, C?" Nadine asked me. "Dally said you were really sick and if he caught ya outta bed, he would skin ya."

I shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'm not that sick."

"You're seriously not scared of Dally?"

"Dally's like my brother, Nay. I'm not scared of him."

"Okay. Well you really don't look too hot."

"I'll be fine," I repeated. "I'm not missing school today."

When we got to school, all the lockers slamming and students talking gave me a headache. Well, an even bigger headache. I went to the drinking fountain as soon as I stepped inside.

I made it through my first three classes before lunch, which were math, science, and Spanish. In lunch, I sat with Adeline, Olivia, Ponyboy, Nadine, and Hayley as usual. They all talked about random things that I couldn't even focus on. I was focusing on not throwing up. Towards the end of lunch, my vision started blurring. I figured it might've been my contacts. They did that a lot; it was really annoying, because when they got blurry, I couldn't see anything. But my stomach really hurt. I don't think that was my contacts.

"C, you okay?" Olivia asked quickly.

I shook my head. I never admit to being sick. But I did this time.

"She looks really pale," Pony said worriedly.

"I'm fine," I reassured him.

"I don't think so..." Adeline said.

And I blacked out.

_**(If I was writing this, the whole puke thing would NOT have happened, trust me. Neither would the dirty jokes. Like, really, can you be anymore immature? Yeah well, I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading and please review.)**_


	21. Chapter 21

**_(I figured out how to do those line things! I never knew how to do them before because I'm just not smart, so I always put little asterics in. But those don't show up when I publish them, so if there's random little breaks that seem awkward in earlier chapters, that would be because those little star things disappeared. Alright, so anyway, there's still a plot. It's coming up in chapter twenty-three! This is chapter twenty-one, in case you didn't know. This chapter's pretty long, so sorry about that...Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!)_**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Dally's POV**

C was really sick. She didn't want to admit it, and I didn't know why. It was obvious. She just liked being difficult. I honestly think she's the most stubborn of everyone in the gang, and that's saying something. There were some pretty stubborn people in the gang.

But the more I thought about C, the more my thoughts changed from "she's insane," "she's crazy," "she's not too bright," to things like "she's actually really smart," "she's pretty cute," and "I love this girl."

But that was insane. I couldn't love anybody. It wasn't the Dallas Winston way. I mean, yes, I loved Johnny in a way, but that was brotherly. I looked after Johnny like he was my brother because he had so many terrible things happen to him that he didn't deserve. And I did love Corrin. I loved her like a sister for so long. I watched over her like she was my sister, because she was a sweet girl that didn't deserve to get hurt either. But I don't think about her like a sister anymore. I hate admitting it. I hate it so much. I feel like I'm completely changing myself._ This is not how you act, Dallas_, I find myself thinking every day. _You are Dallas Winston. Dally doesn't love anybody_. But it's becoming harder and harder for me to deny. I could keep my cool in front of everyone. I could simply deny that I had any feelings for Corrin at all. Well, everyone except Johnny. He saw past that little charade of me being tough, cold and hard. He knew I had feelings on the inside, and that little stunt I pulled when he almost died was proof.

Maybe that was why Johnny had confronted me the other day.

I was just sitting there minding my own business on the Curtis' couch when Johnny came in. He looked like he was thinking about something.

"Whatcha thinking about, Johnnycake?" I asked him.

"Oh...I'm just thinking about...Olivia..." he admitted. I chuckled lightly.

"Of course you are."

"I know you don't like talking about your feelings, Dal, but I gotta ask you something."

"Sure, Johnny," I said, giving him a smile.

"Do _you_ wanna be in love?"

I sighed heavily. This wasn't my favorite question in the world. "Sometimes I think it would be nice, I guess..." I admitted.

"Do you like anyone? Like, a girl?"

"By _like_, you mean..."

"Yeah. _Love_, Dal. Do you love anyone?"

"Johnny, you know I hate these kinds of questions..."

"I know ya do, Dal, but I'm being serious. I wanna know."

"I don't know, man."

"How do you not know? Unless you just don't wanna tell me."

"I would tell ya, Johnnycake. But I just don't know."

"You know who I think you love?" he asked me.

"Who?" I asked coolly.

"Corrin."

My eyes widened. "C? Ya kidding, man?"

"You're blushing, Dallas."

"What makes you think I like her, man?"

"Not like. Love," he corrected me.

"Whatever. What makes you think I _love_ her?

"Please, man. Maybe you can hide your soft side from the rest of the gang, but you can't hide it from me."

"I don't have a soft side," I grumbled.

"Whatever, man. Just think about it, okay? It might be good for you to date C."

"Who said I even like C?" I cried.

Johnny just smiled at me. "Think about it, man. You might be a lot happier." And he left me to my thoughts on the couch. And that's how I started thinking about this whole situation. I realized that I did like C more than I would admit to. I don't even like admitting it to myself.

The morning I first saw her sick, she left her bedroom window open. It wasn't freezing outside, but it wasn't warm either. I went up there to shut it for her before she got sick or something. But my efforts were wasted. She looked real pale as I went to shut her window that I had to climb in and just make sure she was okay.

And it turned out she was sick. And it worried me. I don't know why, I mean, I've seen plenty of people sick before. But she was dizzy and nauseous and pale...I don't know, man. It scared me. So when I told her she'd better stay in bed, I meant it. She probably made it worse just climbing back down the tree to get to the Curtis house.

Either way, I was just worried about her.

Because I love her.

There. I said it. I hope Johnny's happy. But Johnny couldn't get what he wanted. He wanted C and me to date, which wasn't possible. C would never like me back. She was a good girl, the kind of girl that was scared of getting in trouble and hated missing school. I was a hood. I robbed things, I jumped people, and I constantly got in trouble with the law just for the hell of it. She would never go for someone like me.

That hurt to think about.

This could not be happening to me. I was not going to let some silly little girl take over my emotions-emotions that I'd been building up since I was a child on the streets of New York City. She wasn't going to take over my life. I promised myself that. But can you keep every promise you make?

To try to get C outta my head, I was lying in bed on Monday morning. I told her she wasn't going to school today, but I didn't want to annoy her. So I wasn't gonna go check to make sure she was still in bed.

I finally pulled myself out of bed around nine, just because I couldn't go back to sleep. Usually, I could, and then I'd sleep until noon. There was something wrong with me.

I went to the Curtis house, even though I knew nobody would be there. But it turns out Two-Bit was there. He was sitting in the kitchen stuffing his face with chocolate cake and beer.

"Hey, Two," I greeted him. I helped myself to some of the beer in the Curtis' fridge. They don't mind. Everyone does it.

"Hey, Dal. How are ya?"

I shrugged. "Fine. How're you doing?"

"I'm great! You just seem...out of it lately, Dal."

"Out of it? Me? Psh."

Two-Bit shrugged. "Well, I'm bored. Wanna go hunt some action?"

"Sure, man. Anything to get my mind off of _her_." I mumbled the last part.

"What was that?"

"Uh...nothing. Let's go."

We left the Curtis house and just started walking down the street. Not many people were even outside. Well, I guess that made sense, considering it was nine-thirty on a Monday morning.

For an hour and a half straight, we walked around the streets of our neighborhood scaring little kids and just random people that came by. It may not seem fun, but to a couple of teenagers that had nothin' better to do, it was a blast. And afterwards we stopped back at the Curtis' just to sit around. Two-Bit turned on Mickey Mouse, and we sat there watching it for another half hour. Then the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Two-Bit cried. He dove over to the phone and picked it up, saying, "Curtis residence." I watched the smile that was usually plastered onto his face gradually turn into a worried expression and his tone turned serious. "Yes, ma'am," he said to the person on the phone, "we'll be there as soon as we can." He slammed the phone back down and turned to me.

"C's in the hospital..." he said slowly.

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know, man, they wouldn't tell me anything cuz I'm not a "parent or legal guardian"," he said, putting air quotes around the last four words.

I was already running out the front door.

* * *

When we pulled up in front of the hospital in Two-Bit's car, we quickly got out. Nobody else was even there to see C, because everyone was either at work or at school. Her own parents wouldn't even pick up their damn phone.

_Glory, hallelujah, I can't believe how worried you are. Over a silly little girl. _That's what my tough side was screaming at myself as I walked to the front desk and asked for C's room. _You're losing it, man. You're losing it._ The receptionist lady or whatever told us the room that she was in, but I didn't hear it. I followed Two-Bit all the way down the hall, but my mind was completely in another universe.

When we got to the room, before we went in, Two-Bit snapped me out of my daydreaming that consisted of worrying, and then scolding myself for it.

"Dally! You okay?"

"Y-yeah, man," I stuttered, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.

"After you," he laughed, pushing me through the door.

C was awake. She was pale and she looked tired, but she was awake. When she saw me, I noticed her shocked face for a millisecond, and then she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"C'mon, C, open your eyes. I know you're up," I said smoothly, though I was kinda hurt. I wasn't gonna kill her or anything. Two-Bit laughed.

She didn't respond.

"Corrin Arianna, look at me. Right now." I used her middle name. I hoped she could tell I was serious.

"Why?" she groaned, opening her eyes and glaring up at me. "So you can yell at me?"

"No," I said, swallowing hard. "I'm not gonna yell at ya, kid."

"Really? I deserve it. You were right, Dally. But I'm gonna be fine! I don't even have to be here, so I don't understand why I am."

"I was right about what?" I asked, confused.

"What happened?" Two-Bit asked her. I realized I had no idea what happened either.

"Oh, well...I, uh...kinda fainted in school." School? _School?_

"Corrin! I told you no school today!" I exclaimed.

"I know, I know, I'm really sorry, I'm stupid, I deserve to be yelled at, blah blah blah."

"Well, it's not your fault you got sick," Two-Bit shrugged. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I don't want to be in the hospital," she complained.

"I hear ya, kid. I hate hospitals. I don't wantcha to be here, either," I sighed.

Two-Bit, who had been leaning against the wall, stood up straight and announced that he was gonna go find some food. Great, leave me with C. Thanks a lot, Two-Bit. Not that it was bad, just...I don't know, man.

C sighed when Two left, blowing the bangs away from her eyes. She looked out the window and I took that as an opportunity to look at her. Just look at her. Her light brown hair was tangled just a little bit, but it was spread out on the pillow around her head. She looked unnaturally pale. She was almost as white as the bed sheet. But the doctor told her she'd be okay, so I had to trust that. Her lips had no color in them whatsoever. She was chewing nervously on her bottom lip, which I noticed was already chapped and a little bit bloody because of it. Okay, I couldn't think about her lips. C'mon, Dallas, pull it together! I noticed her eyebrows were also knitted together. She was worried. About what, I don't know.

"Hey, relax, C. You'll be okay,"

"You think I care about me?" she asked. She sounded lost in thought.

"I care about you." I found that spilling out of my mouth before it processed in my head. "And you should, too."

She rolled her eyes and looked back out the window. She has honestly been so moody the past few days...

I stopped leaning on the wall and sat down on the bed next to her. "How're ya feeling?"

"Like crap."

"Yeah, I can tell."

"Sorry," she sighed.

"S'okay," I said quickly.

But she shook her head. "No, Dally, I really mean it. I'm sorry. You've been so nice to me, I'm not sure why, but you have. And I've been nothing but grouchy and annoying back. I'm really sorry."

"Alright, kid. Relax now."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "How are ya, Dal?" she finally asked.

I shrugged. "Same as always."

"When are you ever gonna be okay?" she asked, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

"Quit biting your lip. You're gonna chew it off," I joked.

"Dally, seriously! I don't like seeing you sad. Can I do anything to help?"

I thought about it for a second. She could help. She could make me feel better. But I couldn't tell her that.

"I appreciate the concern. But no."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"When are they letting you outta here?" I wondered.

"I don't know! I don't even need to be here! I wanna go home!"

"Sorry," said a nurse who came into the room, "but it's school rules. You faint in school, you go to the hospital. Maybe you shouldn't have gone to school sick."

C fell silent. I wanted to slap that nurse right in the face. What gave her the right to talk to C like that? See, this is part of why I hated hospitals. They either fussed over you way too much, or they acted like they couldn't give a damn. The nurse left the room again.

"Don't worry about it, C. I'm not even mad at ya."

"Thanks, Dal," she yawned.

Sensing she was tired, I stood up. "Well, I'm gonna let you get some sleep now then. Try to get better. I don't like seeing you like...this." I motioned towards her body.

"See ya, Dally." It sounded like she muttered two more words, but I couldn't be sure.

Besides, it was probably just my imagination.

* * *

_"Love you."_ Those were the only two words I could think of. 'Cuz I swear I heard them come out of C's mouth as I left the hospital room. _"Love you." _But that was totally insane. She couldn't love me. Not like I loved her. It just wasn't possible. I didn't have that kind of luck.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was on my mind when I left the hospital, it was on my mind when I found Two-Bit at a small cafe. it was on my mind when I returned to the Curtis house to find both Johnny and Olivia there too. Olivia was lying in his lap, and he was playing with her fiery red hair.

"What's wrong with you, Dally?" she asked me curiously.

"What are you talking about?" I responded automatically.

"Is it about..." she trailed off.

"Probably," Johnny chuckled.

"What are you guys talking about?" I demanded.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Olivia said, giving me an innocent smile. I glared at her.

"You know what we're talking about, Dal," Johnny told me quietly.

"He does?" Olivia asked.

"He does."

"No I don't! What are you saying?" I shouted.

"Inside voices, please," Olivia teased.

"Wise ass," I muttered under my breath.

"Dal, stop worrying. C's gonna be fine," Johnny said reassuringly.

"Who said I was worried about her?"

"It's kinda obvious," Olivia added.

"I ain't worried about the kid," I lied.

"Lies!" Olivia shouted, pointing a finger at me. Olivia was the best, but she could be quite annoying when she wanted to be. But I was assuming that was her goal at the moment. Annoy the hell out of Dally so she could get what she wants.

"No...truths!" I think I just came up with a word. Is the plural of truth truth? Or truths? Truth? Truths? Okay, now I was just trying to distract myself.

"You love her," Olivia cried, smiling smugly. Johnny nodded in agreement.

"But Dally, if you just admit it, we'll help you," he added.

"I don't need no help. I don't have nothing to admit to."

"Pleeeeease, Dally?" Olivia whined. "I very strongly ship Corras."

"...Corras?..."

"Corrin and Dallas! You know, like a couple name?" Facepalm.

"Good lord. You kids come up with the weirdest shit."

Just then, Adeline walked in the door. She saw we were having a discussion and sat down on the floor in a rush.

"What're we talking about?"

"Dally's little girlfriend."

"Dally has a girlfriend?" she asked excitedly.

"No!" I shouted at the same time Olivia said, "not yet he doesn't."

"Who's it gonna be?"

Even Olivia stayed silent. Johnny looked over at me, as if asking my permission to tell Addie.

"Go ahead, kid. Spread the lies if you feel the need to."

"It's not a lie if you're letting me tell," he countered.

"Guys! Just tell me!" Addie shouted.

I wanted to tell her. I had to tell them. I felt like I had to tell someone, anyone, or I would explode. I suddenly didn't want to bottle it up inside of me. I needed to tell them.

"Corrin! I do like her, okay? You happy?'

Olivia and Addie let out a girlish squeal, and Johnny and I covered our ears.

"What the hell was that?" I asked when they finally stopped.

"Dally, this is so cute!"

"Ugh, don't use that word in front of me."

"Cute! Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute!" Addie shouted. I covered my head with the pillow. I was lucky I didn't say I loved her. Because I did. But if this is what I got for saying I like her...

"Does C know?" Olivia demanded.

"No...and don't you dare tell her!"

"Why? Wanna do it yourself?"

"No! She'll never think of me the same! She probably doesn't even like me back."

"Right," Addie scoffed.

"I don't even know why she bothers denying it," Johnny agreed. "It's so obvious."

"I don't see it," I grumbled.

"How can you not?" Johnny asked me.

"Yeah," Olivia added. "you should see her when we accuse her of liking you. She blushes like crazy and gets all stuttery and nervous..."

"You guys actually bother her about it?!" I cried.

"Well how the hell else are we supposed to get her to admit it?" Addie replied defensively.

Just then, we heard a car pull into the driveway. I jumped up to look out the window, since Johnny and Olivia were a bit tangled with each other, and Addie was lying like a lazy lump on the floor.

I noticed the familiar truck...Darry's. And C was with him.

"Guys, shut up. I-it's Darry a-and C. Um...act natural," I hopped over Addie and took my place back on the couch.

"You're the only one not acting natural," Olivia laughed. Then, the door flew open.

"Hey, guys, do you mind watching C until I get home from work? I gotta go back."

"Darry! I said I could've walked home! You didn't have to leave work," she whined.

"Behave for them, please," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry!" C cried before the door shut. "Hey, guys," she said quietly.

"You were not gonna walk home," Addie responded.

"Well, I didn't wanna bother Darry," she said quietly. "He's probably not happy with me at the moment."

"Well, you're okay," Olivia smiled at her. "That's all that matters." I silently agreed.

"How're ya feeling?" Johnny asked.

"Fantastic," she replied sarcastically.

"Well go lay down then," Addie suggested.

"No, I'm okay." She sat down on the floor. "Where're Ponyboy and Emily?"

"They went out for ice cream," Olivia answered.

"Oh, yeah," C said tiredly. "They're dating now, huh?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cute," Addie giggled.

"I knew Emily liked him. I could tell."

I had no clue that they were dating. But I guess it only happened a few days ago. Olivia and Addie seemed to have a lot of fun when it came to people dating. Little weirdoes. But they were still cool. I don't think the gang could get along without those two.

"C, seriously, go lay down. You don't look so hot."

"I don't wanna," she whined. I couldn't stand to look at her like that. She was all pale and sick lookin'.

"C'mere, C," I said, patting the couch next to me.

"I'm fine," she protested, but Addie pulled her off of the floor and almost threw her onto the couch next to me.

"Jesus, Ad, be careful with her," I scolded, reaching out to steady her.

"Oh no, his precious girl's gonna die now!" Addie cried sarcastically.

"Cut it out, Adeline," C whined. She was blushing. Could she really like me? I wished she did.

Olivia untangled herself from Johnny and stood up, stumbling a little from sitting so long. She sat down next to C and pushed her so she was leaning on me.

"Olivia, what are you doing?" I asked between clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Dallas," was her cool reply. "I'm trying to help you here."

"How the hell do you figure?" This was more embarrassing than helpful.

"Don't move," the redhead commanded. She got up from the couch and took a step back, looking at us. "Wait! One more thing!"

"Liv," C started, but it was too late. Olivia already grabbed my arm and draped it around C's shoulders.

"Olivia!" I exclaimed.

"That's real cute," Ad commented. Johnny agreed.

"You know you guys love it," Olivia giggled when we both glared at them.

"But…" I started.

"Dallas Winston, you look me in the eye and tell me you don't love it," Johnny challenged.

I looked him in the eye, just to prove I could. But I couldn't say it. I ended up blushing and staring down into my lap to hide it.

"Alright. What about you, C?"

She hid her face in my shoulder to cover up the huge smile on her face.

"There we go," Addie smirked.

"Aw, shut up," I groaned.

"Well…ask her!" Johnny cried.

"C'mon, man," I groaned again. I knew what was coming.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Olivia said with a fake innocence in her voice, "do you two want some privacy?"

"Olivia!" C and I shouted at the same time.

"In that case, we'll be right back," she laughed, pulling Johnny and Addie up and going into the kitchen.

"Sorry," C sighed. She sighed, blowing the hair out of her face.

"For what?"

"…them."

"Don't be. But I have a question for ya."

"Which is?"

I took a deep breath, telling myself that I would feel _so_ much better after I let this out.

"Do you like me?"

She bit her lip. "Do you want the honest answer? Or the one you probably _wanna_ hear?"

That made me nervous. "The honest one."

She hesitated for a second, still nervously chewing on her lip.

"No." My heart literally stopped until she started talking again. "I love you."

"Isn't that the answer I _want_ to hear?"

"That's the honest one…I thought you wanted me to say I _didn't _like you."

"You're crazy then," I chuckled.

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

I took another deep breath. "Yeah. I'm really not good at this _feelings_ shit, Corrin, but I care about you. A lot. That's why I'm so protective. If anyone hurt you, I'd kick their ass. I know I'm not the most well behaved, but…" I found myself spilling my heart out to her. I told her things I've never dared to say. I kept my feelings hidden from the gang because that was the way I was. I was cold. Hard. Mean. Tough. But I told Corrin everything. Everything that I've hidden deep in my heart since I was a kid. Could a girl really do this to me?

No. Not any girl. Just this girl. Because I, Dallas Winston, was in love. And I never _ever _thought I would say that. But I am now.

At last, I took an even deeper breath. I would definetly need it.

"Will you be my girl?" I finished.

"I'd love to," she flashed me a smile. And I could finally admit that she was beautiful. And she was mine.

"You have no idea how good it feels to let that all out," I admitted, pulling her close to my side.

"You can tell me anything, Dally," she promised. Then she yawned. She looked really tired.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now you try to get some rest."

"But I'm not tired." She yawned again, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Go to sleep."

"I don't wanna get you sick," she replied, trying to pull away from me. I held onto her tighter and pulled her back next to me.

"I don't care. Now get some rest before I make you go back home."

"Fine," she groaned.

At that moment, Johnny, Adeline, and Olivia came out of the kitchen giggling and clapping. They sure know how to embarrass someone. Glory.

"Guys, she's trying to sleep," I said with annoyance in my voice.

"It's hard to help," Adeline claimed. "This is adorable." I rolled my eyes at them.

"Dally," C giggled tiredly.

"Yeah?"

"Remember yesterday how you very confidently said that I _wasn't _going to school today?" I nodded. "Well, I still did."

"You're unbelievable," I said, shaking my head.

She smiled and fell asleep within a minute.

"I can't believe _Dallas Winston_ is in _love_," Addie chuckled quietly, so she wouldn't wake up C. "You just better not hurt her."

"I'd never hurt her," I whispered, brushing another strand of hair outta her face.

"Good, because if you do, Addie and I are comin' for ya. Ya better watch out," Olivia threatened.

"You guys honestly think I'd be scared of _you two_?"

"You should be," Addie said. I scoffed. "But you don't have to worry about it if you don't hurt her."

"I won't hurt her. I promise."

Johnny smiled at me. "How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" I asked, confused.

"Being in love?" I hesitated for a second, but took a deep breath and said,

"It feels real good."

"Told ya so."


	22. Chapter 22

_**(Too lazy to write up here...just wanted to say this was filler. Next chapter is where it all begins)**_

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Ponyboy's POV**

By the time Emily and I were leaving the ice cream parlor, the sun was setting. I loved sunsets. They were so pretty, with their pinks and yellows and oranges. I remembered the first time I watched one with Johnny. We were at the church and were wanted by the fuzz. At first, I thought I could only watch sunsets with Johnny and Sodapop. Everybody else was too oblivious to notice it. When C came along, I realized I could watch them with her, and she even convinced Dally to come with us one time. He was mesmerized by it the whole time, but completely denied it when it ended.

"Look at the sky," Emily broke the silence. "It's so pretty."

"I love sunsets," I said, smiling.

"Me too. I used to watch them all the time back in Virginia with Corrin."

"Used to?" I wondered.

"Well, yeah. Once Corrin left it kinda wasn't the same." I nodded in response to that.

"Would it be the same if you watched one with _me_ now?" I asked.

"It would be even better," she replied, smiling.

So I led her to the empty lot that I usually watched the sunset from.

"Woah," she whispered when we got there.

"What?"

"This is a perfect view. You can almost see the whole sky."

"This is where I usually watch the sunset."

"Do you watch it alone?" I shrugged.

"Sometimes. Usually I have Johnny or C with me, though."

"Well, call me whenever you're alone. I'll watch with you."

"Thanks," I gave her a smile and nervously took hold of her hand. She squeezed it back gently.

We sat in silence watching the sun go down**. **Gradually, all the pinks and oranges faded into the night sky, and we headed back to my house. We walked home talking and telling jokes and laughing.

"I'm really glad you asked me out, Pony," Emily said as we hit my street.

"So am I, M&M. So am I." I glanced at my watch and instantly sped up a little bit. I'd completely forgotten that Darry was having his first "date" with Helena tonight. I actually wouldn't consider it a date, since Emily, Sodapop, Addie, and I were gonna be there, but Darry's been happy all morning about this, so I don't wanna rain on his parade. Darry wasn't happy often. But when he was, the whole day usually turned out better for Sodapop and I.

"You okay, Pony?" Emily asked quickly.

"Yeah, I just remembered that Helena's coming over tonight. We're supposed to be at the house and ready in ten minutes."

"Oh, yeah! We gotta hurry then!"

We both walked quickly up to the front of the house and burst through the door. The smell of spaghetti and meatballs coming from the kitchen could be smelled from the living room. Darry's humming was also floating out from the kitchen. Darry never hums while he cooks. There were flowers in the middle of the table. The table was completely clear except for some placemats and silverware. The table was always filled with random bowls and beer bottles from all the people that come over, along with Darry's bills that he stresses out about all the time.

That's not even the weirdest thing though. The only people in the living room were Olivia, Dallas, and C. Olivia was on the floor doing homework across from the couch. That's not weird. Olivia wasn't a school freak like C, but she cared a lot about her grades and homework, too. I recognized it as the English homework Mr. Symes gave us. The weird thing was Dally and C. They were both asleep. Not weird. C was sick, and Dally fell asleep a lot out of boredom. But C was in his arms. His cheek was resting on her head, which was on his shoulder. Weird. Definetly weird. Emily noticed this, too.

"Um…what happened there?" she asked Olivia, motioning to the two on the couch.

"They're dating now," Olivia said, packing up her completed homework, "because they love each other."

"Since when were they dating?" I wondered aloud.

"Since today."

"Okay then."

"Well, I'm gonna go. I think Helena should be here in about five minutes," Olivia announced.

"Five minutes?!"

"Yeah, you guys better start getting ready." She gently shook Dallas and C awake.

"Hi, guys," C yawned.

"I'm tired," Dal complained, resting his chin on her head again.

"You just slept for an hour and a half," his new girlfriend laughed.

"How're ya feelin', kid?" He ignored her comment.

"A little better," she shrugged.

"Well, Emily and me have to get ready for dinner right now, but C, you're telling us what happened later," I told her.

"Sure thing, Pony," she yawned, slowly standing and pulling Dally up with her. "See ya guys later."

"Yeah. Bye," Dal added.

"Have fun tonight!" Olivia called through the house, and she followed them out the door.

"You two better get ready," Darry warned Emily and me. I nodded.

"Emily, you can change in my room," I commanded. "I'll change in the bathroom."

Emily took off towards me and Soda's bedroom, and I grabbed my button down shirt and pants that Darry ironed off of a kitchen chair and ran to the bathroom. After changing out of my sweatshirt and jeans, I smoothed my hair back. Darry's nervousness was making everyone else nervous.

I came out of the bathroom at the same time Emily came out of my room. She looked so pretty with her knee length, flowing black skirt, long sleeved, pink shirt, and gold necklace.

"I like your necklace," I smiled.

"Thanks, it's a locket," she said, holding it up and popping it open.

Inside were two pictures. One was a picture of her and C when they were little. They couldn't have been older than five or six. They were both missing teeth. They're shirts were the same style, too, except C's was green and Emily's was blue. The other picture was the C I've known for a while, next to Emily. It couldn't have been taken more than two years ago. They looked more grown up, with all their teeth back. They were wearing the same shirt again, but C's was red and Emily's was purple. Unlike the first picture, their hair was brushed out and they were both wearing earrings.

"That's cute," I commented.

"Thanks," she smiled, closing the locket and letting it drop back against her chest.

"Let's move it, kiddos," Darry called from the kitchen. I took Emily's hand and pulled her out with me.

"Where're Soda and Addie?" I asked.

I heard the door open and close at that second. "Present!" Soda called through the house. He was wearing a light blue button down with black pants, both ironed, while Addie was wearing a turquoise dress that came an inch above her knees.

"Hey," she smiled. I gave her a little wave.

"Alright, guys," Darry shouted out of nervousness, running into the living room, "Helena should be here any second now. Everyone stay calm and _please_ don't embarrass me, I'm begging you."

"You're the only one who's _not_ calm, Dar," Soda laughed.

"Yeah, Darry, chill out. She'll like ya," I reassured him.

"Thanks, Little Buddy." He tousled my hair.

And the doorbell rang, sending Darry into full-on panic mode.

"Guys, guys, guys, she's here! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He practically flew to the door to open it.

"Hi, Helena," he said, completely out of breath.

"Hey, Darry!" Her eyes were blue. Her blonde hair was neatly brushed out and her bangs were clipped back with a matching blue hair clip. She had a blue knee-length dress with a bow around the waist.

"C'mon in," Darry said, moving to the side to let her in. She smiled and thanked him. Then everyone was introduced to her. First, Darry introduced Sodapop and me, and then Addie and Emily as our girlfriends. Helena gave a polite smile to all of us.

We all sat down at the table, which was already set with silverware and plates of spaghetti and meatballs.

"So," Helena said, after a few minutes of silence, "tell me about yourselves." The comment was directed towards everyone at the table. Sodapop started.

"I'm Sodapop Curtis. I'm sixteen and I work full-time at the gas station." He pointed at Addie. "That's Adeline, but you can call her Addie. She's my girlfriend."

"Proud of it, too," Addie giggled.

"Good, you should be." Soda wrapped an arm around Addie's shoulders with a smirk.

"How old are you, Addie?" Helena asked. She clearly wasn't shy.

"Fifteen," she responded. "I'm in the same grade as Ponyboy."

"You're fifteen?" she asked me.

"Fourteen," I corrected. "I got moved up a grade."

"That's impressive," she smiled at me. "You must be very smart!"

"Thanks."

"What about your girlfriend?"

"I'm Emily, I'm fourteen, too. I live next-door with my parents and sister."

"What's your sister's name?"

"Corrin. She's fifteen."

"We call Corrin C though," Soda told her, and Darry nodded in agreement.

"Cute nickname," Helena commented. "What about you, Darry?"

"What _about_ me?"

"You're twenty, right?"

"R-right," he stuttered.

"What d'ya do?"

"I roof houses. And I try to keep the little guys out of trouble."

"I'm sure you do a great job." She gave him a big smile, which made him blush.

"Trust me, he does," Soda said seriously. "We've run into quite a few problems since our parents died, but he's managed to keep us all alive and in his custody. He's really responsible." Darry gave our brother a grateful smile.

"That's so sweet. I can't believe you're only twenty and you have custody of all these kids."

"He could've gone to college and got an even better education, but instead, he decided to put up with all of us," I informed her.

"I wouldn't change a thing, though," Darry spoke up. "I mean, I wish Mom and Dad were still alive, but as long as they're not, I wouldn't change anything."

"That's sweet, Darry," Helena giggled. Darry blushed redder than I've ever seen him.

When dinner was done, Emily and I insisted that we'd clean up the dishes so Darry wouldn't have to. He, Helena, Addie, and Soda went out to the living room to chat.

"Did you have a fun day today?" I asked Emily as I was drying off plates. She nodded.

"Thank you so much," she smiled, handing me another plate.

All we did was talk about our day. C fainting actually really scared us, and we were both glad she was okay. We were also confused about why she was dating Dallas, since she was a good girl, and he was pretty much a hood. Opposites attract, I guess. Another thing I was wondering about was Nadine and Hayley. They didn't even talk to us in or out of school anymore. They went back to their Soc clothes and talking to their Soc friends. Addie's the only one that stayed loyal to us. And that's what makes a true greaser. Not ratty, worn clothes, not talking to some greasers for a say, not even not having money. A true greaser has loyalty. Trusting each other and sticking with each other through thick and thin is the key to being a greaser.

Nadine and Hayley didn't have loyalty, like Socs. Cherry Valance told me that Socs are fake. They hide behind their emotions. They tell people the exact opposite of what they're thinking, and their parents spoil them to the point where they're bored with their lives. Cherry believes this is an excuse for Socs getting drunk and jumping greasers all the time, which I think is nonsense. Boredom doesn't give anyone the right to physically hurt a person. Cherry was a nice girl, but I think she's got her priorities a bit messed up. She cares about stuff like reputation. Popularity. Status. The top priorities of a greaser is your gang. You watch out for each other, you help them, instead of kicking them when they're down.

That's why Dallas Winston almost died a few months ago. He cared so much about Johnnycake that when he almost died, so did he. That whole thing had our whole gang on edge for weeks. Darry was always worried and screaming. Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit tried to lighten the mood, but even they were pretty shaken up. C and I kinda went insane for a few days. We were completely out of it. We smashed our heads against walls and doors and anything we could find. But the finally safe return of Johnny and Dallas brought every one of us back to life, closer than we'd been before.

When all the dishes were cleaned out and was nearly spotless, Emily and I leaned back against the counter to admire our work.

"Darry'll be proud of ya," Emily complimented.

I draped my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me.

"You helped," I told her.

"Naw, it was mostly you."

I smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for helpin' me."

"No problem, I love to help."

Sodapop came into the kitchen at that second.

"Hey kids, ya kissin' yet?"

"Soda!" I threw the dry dish towel in my hands at him, but he caught it and threw it back. I dropped it.

"Just kiddin," He was trying not to laugh.

"Get outta here, please," I groaned.

"Fine, sure," he opened the fridge and pulled out a can of Coke, "I'll go actually _kiss_ my girlfriend over there." I knew he was joking, though, not about kissing Addie, but about teasin' us. So Emily and I both laughed.

We followed Sodapop out to the living room where we found Addie trying to do a split in a dress. Darry had an arm around Helena's shoulders, and hers were around his waist. Good sign. The whole rest of the night was spent talking, laughing, and maybe, just maybe, kissing.


	23. Chapter 23

**_I know I just updated two days ago...but I'm gonna update again because I want to. So there. I'm already working on a sequel anyway, so...yeah. I hope you like this chapter, and I hope you agree with me that "Johlivia" is adorable because I love it. Sadly, I don't know how much longer it's going to last in real life...anyway. Do you guys like Johlivia? I do. Anyway, hope you like this chapter. Please review!_**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Olivia's POV**

Addie, C, and I have been thinking about who could've been the one trashing Addie's room that one night. We immediately ruled out everyone from the gang out: the seven boys, us three, and Emily. We all trusted each other and respected each other. None of us would do something like that.

But even though that ruled out eleven of us, there were still tons of people that it didn't rule out. It could be anyone.

By the time the weekend rolled around, C was feeling better and Addie was kinda freaked out that the person would come back to her room when she least expected it.

Most of the gang knew about Addie's home invasion issue, but the guys said that they'd take care of it. Right. So we three girls decided that _we_ would handle it.

That Saturday, Adeline invited C and I to her large Soc house to sleep over. We planned to camp out in her backyard all night to make sure that nobody snuck in—or to catch whoever tried to. C and I met up at the lot and walked together to the Soc side of town, surprisingly avoiding any drunken Socs, until we hit Addie's house. She was waiting on her front porch.

"You guys just walked alone on the Soc side of town?" she shouted. "Do you _want_ to die?!" We just shrugged and followed her into the house.

Adeline showed us the big tent that she set up in her backyard, behind a few trees so that a person sneaking in wouldn't notice it. We also brought black pants and shirts to make sure we weren't seen before we wanted to be. Addie made me bring a black hat, too, to cover my fiery red hair. The tent looked even bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. It literally looked like ten people could fit in there comfortably. We were settled down and all peeking out the tent door by nine o'clock.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" C asked nervously.

"Stop worrying," Addie commanded, "we'll be fine."

There was a rustle of leaves as a gust of wind blew by. C jumped and wrapped her blanket around her. Only her face was sticking out.

"You look so weird, C."

"What was that?" She whispered.

"Just the wind. Relax."

"Are you sure they guys aren't gonna be mad that we're doing this?" she asked, dropping the blanket from around her.

"No. But if they don't find out, what's the problem?" Addie asked, and I nodded in agreement. C, obviously feeling defeated, looked down and shut up.

We sat there talking for a few hours about a bunch of random things, but by midnight, all three of us were falling asleep.

"Guys?" I asked, yawning.

"What?" Addie and C both responded.

"Is the chicken friends with the cow?"

Addie slapped me.

"Ow!" I whined. We were all silent for about five minutes until we heard a _crack_ from outside. C shot up straight, her eyes wide.

"Shut up," Addie whispered, peering out the door. Someone was standing right in front of her face. The three of us screamed.

"Shh, guys, it's just me!" I knew that voice.

"Johnny!" I cried, jumping up to hug him.

"What's going on here?" he asked, hugging me back.

"Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of us," Addie cried. C nodded her head in agreement.

"Sorry. What are you girls doing?"

"How did you even know we were here?"

"Just answer my question, please."

"We're, uh…having a, um…campout!" C stuttered.

"I see that. Why?"

I gave him a big smile that usually makes him drop the subject, but it wasn't working. He kept glaring at me.

"Because, uh…we're…bored!" I replied.

"That's not what Emily told me."

C and Addie facepalmed at the same time.

"I'm gonna kill that girl…" C muttered.

"No, you're not," Johnny said in a monotone. "She did the right thing here." I started to interrupt, but he cut me off. "You," he nodded in my direction, "left your jacket at my house earlier, so I needed to give it to you. I couldn't find you guys, so I asked Emily. She didn't wanna tell me, but I got Ponyboy to make her tell us where you guys were and what you're doing."

"Why's it such a problem?" Addie asked after a few seconds.

"You don't know who this person is. What if it's more than one person? What if you girls get hurt? I want you three to go inside."

"But we're having fun out here," I pouted.

"Too bad."

"No, too bad for you."

"Olivia, don't argue with me, please. C'mon, _please_ go inside. It would make me feel _so_ much better."

"Johnny, can I talk to you outside for a second?" I asked. Johnny sighed, but followed me out of the tent.

"Yes?" he leaned against the tree, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Woah, when did you get so sassy?"

Johnny's face instantly softened. "I'm sorry, Olivia, I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"Don't be worried. Nothing's gonna happen."

"Olivia, it's not that simple. I can't just not worry about you."

"Why not?"

"Cuz…because I love you."

"Aww!"

"I'm serious."

"Well, I love you, too. But you don't need to worry, honest. We can all take care of ourselves."

"But—"

"And," I cut him off, "we all have our switchblades. Ooh, and pepper spray! We've got it covered." He sighed, giving in.

"I swear to god, if any one of you get more than a scratch, I'll skin y'all. Understood?"

"Yes, Johnny. Understood."

"Good." He kissed my forehead and gave me a big hug. "Can I freak them out a little bit?" he whispered into my ear.

"Knock yourself out," I giggled back. I followed him as he stormed into the tent, pretending to be really mad.

"You just wait 'til Sodapop hears 'bout this. He's not gonna be too happy with you."

C took one look at Addie's nervous face and instantly stepped in. "C'mon, Johnny, don't tell Soda. You don't need to make him worry for no reason."

"Sodapop is the least of your problems, kid," he threatened, looking at C. "I can't wait to tell Dally about this one."

C's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

Addie and C exchanged very nervous glances before simultaneously falling to their knees begging. I nearly burst out laughing.

"Fine, I won't tell them. On one condition."

"Anything," C said at the same time Addie said, "what?"

"If anything happens, you need to go in the house and call one of us. If any one of you feels even a little bit uncomfortable, you run in the house and call me, Dally, or the Curtis house. Got it?" We all nodded. "Good." He kissed my lips lightly and left the tent.

"Wait, Johnny," Addie stopped him.

"Yeah?" he turned around.

"You're not walking back, are ya" I snapped my head in his direction. He better not be walking alone on a Friday night on the Soc side of town.

"Ya kiddin'? 'Course not."

"You didn't walk here?"

"How stupid d'ya think I am?"

"Not stupid at all," I replied, smiling at him. He smiled back and slowly left the backyard.

"D'ya really think he'll tell Soda and Dally?" Addie wondered.

"I hope not, they'd be _so _mad," C chimed in.

"Nah, he's not gonna," I reassured them. A gust of wind blew by, and I tightened my jacket around me. "Glory, it's freezin' out here."

C and Addie both nodded, pulling their blankets around themselves like I had with my jacket. We sat there in the dark, the only light coming from the full moon that was out high in the sky.

"Guys, what if a werewolf comes out?" C asked suddenly.

Addie smacked C's arm. "Stop being so paranoid. Werewolves aren't real."

"Yeah, that's ridiculous," I agreed.

"I want Dally," she whined, hiding under the blanket.

"I bet you do," Addie laughed, and I joined. C came out from under the blanket and smacked us both, blushing.

"Guys, shut up! Y'know I didn't mean it like that!"

"I knew no such thing," Addie replied innocently.

"And you're blushing," I pointed out.

"We're only fifteen. Why are you even talking about this stuff?" She pulled the blanket back over her head.

"Cuz we have dirty minds," I laughed, and Addie joined in, too.

Until we heard a twig snap outside. All three of us jumped.

"Who's that?" C whispered.

"Calm down. Maybe Johnny's just coming back for some reason." I was trying to comfort both them and myself. I knew Johnny was long gone; there's no way he'd be coming back.

A huge crash came from the house.

"That's not Johnny!" C squeaked. "I _really_ want Dally right now."

"Calm down," Addie patted her back. "We'll be okay."

"Ad, are your parents home?" I asked quickly. She shook her head.

"I told you, they went out for dinner and wanted to stay at a hotel tonight."

"We need to check that out then," I declared.

"I, uh, think I'll stay here," C stuttered. "Y'know, like, guard the outside, or keep watch, or something like that."

"Uh huh, you do that," Addie said, standing up with me.

We quietly crept out the tent door and stayed in the shadows, making our way to the house's back door. The lights started flickering on and off in one of the upstairs rooms.

"Shit, that's my room," Addie whispered.

We took off towards the house and ran in the back door.

The whole house was completely torn apart. Cushions from couches were flipped over everywhere. Curtains and blinds were ripped and torn down, glass was smashed everywhere on the floor. Tables and chairs were pushed over, picture frames were cracked. Phones were pulled out of the walls. TV's were knocked over. Lamps were smashed. It was a mess. Addie's parents would have a fit, if not a heart attack.

There was another smash coming from the second floor. We ran to the stairs, passing more and more destruction as we went.

When we hit the top of the stairs, we saw someone. Two people, actually. They were dressed in completely black from head to toe, and no skin was showing whatsoever. Addie and I screamed.

"Who the hell are you?!" Addie shrieked. They said nothing in response, but two more dressed exactly the same way jumped out of Addie's parents' room and pounced on us. I kicked one off of me, but another jumped on me, pinning me to the hardwood floor. I managed to glance over at Addie. She was still standing, but she looked like she was about to be overpowered.

I saw the figure sneak up behind her with the baseball bat before she did.

"Adeline! Watch out!" I screamed, but I was too late. The bat came down on her head, and she was out like a light.

I shot up, surprising the person on top of me. I had to get C. I ran down the stairs, nearly falling. Two of the guys charged after me, but I got out the door and into the cool night air.

"C? C? Corrin!" I shouted. My voice echoed through the night. C wasn't there. I noticed two different figures in the corner, wearing the same black outfits as everyone else. And C was with them, too. Unconscious, like Addie. The only thing I could think of before they tackled me to the ground and I blacked out was, "Johnny and Dally are gonna _kill_ us."


	24. Chapter 24

_**This is a really long chapter...oops. I apologize but if you read this whole long stupid thing, thanks! Please review and stuff. UGH DALLY I WANNA HUG HIM k thanks**_

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Johnny's POV**

Sometimes, Olivia and her friends worry me. A lot. As I drove back from Adeline's house in the car that Dally borrows from his friend, that's all I could think about. What if Olivia gets hurt? I wouldn't be able to deal with that. She's too pretty to get hurt. And Soda and Dally wouldn't be too happy if Addie or C got hurt. Especially Dally. Glory, he would have a fit.

I pulled into the Curtis' driveway, shutting off the car and running inside. Dal was smoking on the couch.

"Hey, kid," he said when I walked through the door.

"Hey." I threw him the car keys.

"Where is everyone? Nobody's around."

I shrugged. "Olivia, C, and Addie are having a sleepover type thing at Addie's house. Emily's next door at her house. I think Steve and Two-Bit went to the Nightly Double. I don't know about anyone else."

Dally shrugged, too. "The girls doin' alright? They're on the Soc side of town."

"They're good. They promised to call if anything happened, too."

"Ya really think they'd call?"

"They promised."

"Eh, how much trouble could they get into? As long as they're in the house. They're in the house, right?"

"Oh, uh, y-yeah, man. T-totally."

"You lyin'?" I quickly shook my head. "Good. Alright, well. I'm gonna go. See ya later, man."

"Yeah, see ya, Dal."

I swear to god, if those girls get hurt in any way, Dally'll find out. And I'll kill them. Well, I wouldn't kill them. But they'd be in a lot of goddamn trouble.

I hope they know what they're doin'.

* * *

**Addie's POV**

I woke up with a crazy headache. I looked around and had no idea where I was. It was pitch black and I was lying on something that felt like hardwood floor. I couldn't be sure though, I felt really dizzy and sick.

After a few minutes, I had woken up enough to notice a small clock in the corner of the room. It was the only thing that could be seen in the darkness because of its lit up numbers. The clock read 3:46. I couldn't tell whether it was morning or afternoon because the room had no windows.

By then, all the memories of the previous night had flooded into my mind. Shit, I got kidnapped. By who? I have no idea.

Wait, wait, wait, wasn't I with someone the last time I was up? Think, Ad, think. Oh, right. I was with Olivia. Oh, and Corrin. Olivia and C. Wait, where were they? Were they okay? Shit, why did this have to happen to me? All of these questions were popping into my head. What if Johnny finds out and tells Sodapop? Will he be mad at me? I don't know why I'm worried about Sodapop. What about Dally? He'd kill us. Well, he'd kill Olivia and me. He loves C too much to kill her. I still can't believe he actually loves her. Dally doesn't usually love girls. He flirts with them and he tries to embarrass them all the time, but he never actually loves them.

For the first time, I became aware of something touching my shoulder. I turned to see what it was and got a butt load of thick, red hair in my face.

"Christ, Olivia," I groaned, swatting her hair away.

"I'm sorry; did you want me to do something about it?" Olivia snapped sarcastically. She pulled her head away from my face.

"Where the hell are we?" I wondered.

"How should I know?"

"Well, isn't someone little miss sassypants today!"

"Can you shut the hell up so we can concentrate on getting out of here?"

"Well!"

"Sorry. Wait, where's C?"

"Um…" I looked around, trying to see in the dark. She wasn't next to either of us. She wasn't anywhere in the small room. "I have no idea."

"Alright, I guess we'll have to figure this out together, then. I just hope she's okay."

"She'll be fine," I reassured her.

We both stood up shakily, considering we both had bad headaches from being knocked unconscious. But we both made it up and started looking around the room. We found a light switch, which flooded the room with a very bright light, bringing tears to our eyes.

The room was really small. It had three cabinets, two empty, one locked, and a small closet. The closet was also locked. The door to the room was a dark colored wood, and it was also locked. That was literally everything in the room.

"Um…what are we supposed to do now?" Olivia asked me.

"C'mon, we gotta find a way outta here. Who would've even done something like this anyway? I don't know why people hate me so much. Why was it my house that got trashed?"

"You have a rich Soc house. It would be _way_ more fun to trash than a greaser house."

"Really, Liv? Really?"

"What? You know it's true."

"No! My parents are gonna _kill me._"

"At least your parents don't abuse you. I'd be thankful to have parents like yours."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." I turned around for a second, looking for another way out. Maybe there was a hidden trap door or something, y'know, like in all those detective movies on TV. That's what I was looking for when Olivia decided to kick the goddamn door.

"Olivia! What the hell are you doing?"

"I thought it might open," she shrugged.

"Yeah, or it might scream _'hey, we're awake! Come kill us!'_"

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does! If whoever kidnapped us heard you kick the door, what the hell would they think? 'Oh, maybe she's kicking stuff in her sleep, because that's normal!'?"

"Shut up."

"You're only saying that because you know I'm right."

"Well…uh…pleh!"

"Pleh?"

"Yes. Pleh."

"Alright, just shut up and help me find a way outta here."

"What do you think I'm doing? Hey, have you tried twisting the doorknob yet?"

"Yes, Olivia. That's the _first_ thing I tried!"

"Just checking."

"Oh my god."

"Hey, if you don't want my help, I'll just leave."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"Alright. Go ahead."

"Good. I will. Oh. Wait…nevermind."

"Ha."

"I feel stupid."

"Good. You should."

"Ugh, I wish Dally was here. He knows how to pick locks."

"Well, he's not. So we're gonna figure this out together. Now stop whining."

"I'm not whining!"

"Really? Then what do you call what you just did?"

"Um…complaining."

"Shut up and help me."

"Will do."

* * *

"Ugh, we've been at this for hours!" I whined a few hours later.

"Now who's the one whining? Not me!" Olivia retorted.

"You're quite annoying sometimes."

"I'm bored. When I'm bored, I get annoying."

"When you get annoying, I get annoyed."

"That's how it works, kid."

"I'm not a kid, I'm the same age as you. Actually, I'm two months _older_ than you!"

"So? I can call you kid if I want. Dally does it."

"Does Dally go around calling Two-Bit and Darry kid? No! He only calls _us _kids, because we're younger than him!"

"Same difference."

"Not really, actually."

"Will you focus?!"

"You're the one that's being distracting. You're talking about random things."

"Because I'm bored."

"We've established that."

"Alright. Now shut up and help."

"I'm the one doing everything!"

"Let's pretend it's the other way around."

"Olivia!"

"Adeline!"

"Ugh!"

"Y'know, Ad, being in a bad mood isn't gonna help us none. We gotta stay positive! Remember that song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

"…No."

"The "Think Positive" song! You don't remember it?"

"No."

So she started singing. _"You've nothing to lose so why not choose to think positive? Whenever my luck is on the blink, I think positive! Whenever I'm feeling down and out and don't know what to do, I never give way to fear and doubt, 'Cuz—"_

"Alright, alright! Stop! Please! I don't know that song!"

"You're crazy. Have you ever seen that movie?"

"No."

"How have you not seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? What about the book? Have you read the book?"

"No."

"Wow. You're out of it."

"I bet."

"But that's, like, a classic! How have you not—"

"Olivia," I tried to say calmly, turning to face her. "We've been kidnapped and we're stuck in a room with no way to get out, correct?" She nodded. "We have no idea what's going to happen to us, or where C is or whether or not she's okay, right?" She nodded again. "So do you _really_ think I give a damn about a song from some stupid movie?"

"How dare you call it a stupid movie!"

"Olivia. Help me."

"How?"

"Shut up! I really don't wanna strangle you, but it's tempting!"

"Oh," Olivia pouted.

"Fine, I don't wanna kill you. But please stop. And I bet Johnny loves that face."

"What face?"

"Your little puppy dog pout face."

"Uh, I don't know. Why?"

"I bet he does."

"Alright then. I don't know why you say that."

"Cuz, let's admit it, it's a cute face."

"Oh, thanks! I really appreciate the compliment! You're really pretty too!"

"Alright…can we focus here?"

"Hey, you're the one that started talking about pouty faces."

"Don't turn this on me! You're the one who made the face!"

"Because you said you wanted to kill me!"

"Actually, I said strangle." Olivia smacked me in the arm. "Ow! C'mon, you know I didn't mean it."

"I know. You love me."

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Sometimes."

"No, you always love me."

"Think what you want."

"When do you _not_ love me? How could you not? I'm adorable!"

"You go right on believin' that, bud."

"Bud?"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

"Actually, yes."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I don't like it."

"Well isn't that just too bad?"

"Y'know, I can't stand you sometimes."

"_You _can't stand _me?_ Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Wow…I just…alright."

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"Okay! I'm hungry."

"So am I. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Let's make cookies!"

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"Um…let's _pretend_ to make cookies!

"No. That'll just make us hungrier."

"Ugh, you're no fun!"

"Fun? You want to pretend to make cookies? What're we, five?"

"You don't need to be five to have an imagination."

"Okay, now you sound like C."

"No, I sound like Olivia! C has a lower-pitched voice."

"No, I mean the way you said it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, C says stuff like that."

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Alright, nevermind then."

"Okay. Ugh, I'm so bored. Are you _sure_ we can't pretend to make cookies?"

"I'm sure."

"Positive?"

"Yes, positive! Now shut up!"

"You're so mean to me."

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated because we got freakin' kidnapped and I don't wanna die! I'm too young to die! I didn't get to get married and have children yet!"

"Oh, stop being stupid. We're not gonna die."

"Oh, aren't we?"

"Nope. Wait, what?"

"What?"

"Who says that?"

"Who says what?"

"Oh, aren't we? I've never heard anyone say that."

"What world have you been livin' in for the past fifteen years?"

"I've been on Earth, just like you."

"No freakin' duh."

"If you had a child, what would you name it?"

"Why are you asking me this question? It's completely inappropriate, considering the situation we're stuck in right now."

"I was just wondering."

"Girl or boy?"

"Both, I guess."

"Uh…I don't know, Liv. I don't really give a shit right now."

"You should give a shit. What if you accidentally get pregnant young? Then you need to have some names in consideration."

"Why're you thinking about this? Are you planning on doing it with Johnny or something?"

"No! I mean, not yet."

"Not yet?"

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"Hey, you're the one who started talking about baby names."

"Let's pretend it was the other way around."

"Is that always what you say when you try to frame people?"

"Usually, yeah."

"Alright, I think I've heard enough "Olivia-ness" for the day. If you're not gonna help me, sit over there, and shut up."

Before Olivia could respond, the door flew open.

* * *

**C's POV**

It was completely dark. But maybe that was because my eyes were still closed. I _really_ didn't want to open them. I didn't feel good at all. I tried to use my other four senses to help me figure out where I was.

The floor felt like cold hardwood. It was freezing. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. The room had this weird smell, although I can't explain what it smelled like exactly. There was no way I was gonna taste anything, and the only thing I could hear was my deep breaths. But I heard someone else's calm breaths, too. So I opened my eyes.

The room's bright overhead light was on, so I instantly snapped my eyes shut again as they started tearing up. I rolled over onto my stomach, pressing my forehead against the cool hardwood floor, trying to keep my eyes shut tight. My hair fell in front of my face, successfully blocking out some of the light.

What the hell happened? I remembered camping out with Olivia and Addie. I remembered when Johnny came and scared us to death. I remembered hearing the crash from the house. I remembered Addie and Olivia leaving to check it out. I remembered the freezing cold gust of wind I felt as they ran to the house. I remembered the dark figures running through the yard. Then, I remembered nothing.

I lifted my head off the ground. I was gonna get used to this light, better sooner than later. Plus, I wanted to see who was in the room with me. Maybe it was Olivia or Addie, or maybe both. Or maybe neither. But I had to find out.

I looked around the room, ignoring the blinding light. It had one window, but it was dark outside. I had no idea what time it was. Then, the light flicked off. It was nearly pitch black in the room, except for the small amount of light from the moon coming in the window. But then that was gone, too.

"Well, it looks like someone's up," said a voice from the darkness. I thought I knew that voice—but no, that couldn't be possible. It was not possible.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound tough. My voice was really raspy though, so it didn't work.

"Hey, Corrin. D'ya miss me?" I knew I knew that voice. I still didn't want to believe it though. So I pretended that it wasn't him in my head, although I knew it was.

"What do you want?" I repeated.

"You need to learn polite greetings. Maybe something like, 'Hey, Luke, I missed you so much while you were in jail and it's all my fault and I'm sorry'!" His name made my heart start pounding.

"I'm not scared of you anymore," I lied.

"You should be."

"Will you just tell me what you want from me? Where are my friends?"

"_I'm_ asking the questions."

"I don't like you."

"Good for you."

"I _really_ don't like you."

"Did you forget who's in charge here? Do I have to show you?"

"No, no, no."

"Are you sure?" I nodded. "Lose the attitude."

"Sorry."

"Good girl. Now I have some questions for you."

"I don't feel like answering questions right now."

"You actually don't have a choice."

"But I have a headache."

"Poor baby." He grabbed my hair and pulled me into a sitting position.

"How did you even get outta jail?"

"Didn't I say _I _was asking the questions?"

"Yes. But I wanna know."

"Well, I broke out. Happy?"

"You _broke out_?"

"Shut up and listen to me."

"Why don't you make me?" Did I really just say that? I shouldn't have said that…what the hell was I thinking? Why did I say that? He pulled me up by the collar of my leather jacket and slammed me against the wall. I heard a sickening crack come from my head, and I yelped.

"You gonna listen now?"

"Jesus, you probably just cracked my skull!"

"So?"

"I hate you."

_Crack._ I yelped again.

"You done?"

"Yes," I whimpered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Good." And he asked so many questions, but I could barely think straight enough to answer them.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Sodapop's POV**

"Hey, does anyone know where the girls are?" I asked. It was a Saturday morning and almost the whole gang was in our living room, as usual. Everyone except the three girls, which was unusual. Emily was here, sitting next to Ponyboy on the floor in front of the couch. But Addie, C, and Olivia weren't here. Johnny was here. How often were Johnny and Olivia apart? Not very often. I'm tellin' ya, those two are stuck together like glue.

"They were at Addie's house yesterday," Johnny informed me.

"Oh, okay. They're probably still there then."

"D'ya check?"

"Not yet, but don't worry. I'm sure they're fine." Johnny nodded.

"Hey, guys, breakfast is ready!" Darry called from the kitchen. Darry had the chocolate cake cut into pieces for the whole gang. You can't resist chocolate cake. It's like heaven. Steve and I have had this ritual since we met that chocolate cake must be eaten with your hands. Nobody else eats it with their hands but us, and that's also usually how the kitchen gets to be such a mess. That's also usually how we end up having to clean it up.

Everyone was eating their cake in the living room, but Steve and I decided to stay in the kitchen so we wouldn't get in everyone's way. I was leaning against the counter and Steve was in one of the chairs at the table.

"Hey, Soda, remember that one time we had that chocolate cake fight a few years ago?" he asked me.

"Yeah, that was the best! We were both completely silent and then I just threw the cake right at your face! Then we just kept throwing and throwing until Darry caught us."

"That's not how I remember it."

"Really? How do you remember it then?"

"It went a little something like this." He ripped a chunk of cake off, frosting and all, and whipped it at me. It splatted against my face and fell to the floor.

"Oh, that's it. You're dead." I ripped a bigger chuck off and threw it right at his nose. After a minute, chocolate cake and frosting was flying everywhere around the kitchen. We even started ripping chunks off of the big cake that was sitting in the pan on the stove. There was chocolate frosting all over my shirt and face, and the same for Steve.

Then Ponyboy walked in the kitchen.

Some cake was flying through the air, and it missed Pony's face literally by a few centimeters. It hit the curtains on the window and fell down into the sink.

"What are you guys doing?" Pony asked.

"Um…cake fight?" I said it like it was a question.

"You guys better clean this up before Darry sees. He's gonna _kill_ you."

"Too late." Darry was standing leaning in the doorframe behind Ponyboy. "If you boys don't clean this up right now, I'll skin ya."

"But Darry," I whined, "it's our day off."

"You should've thought of that before you started having a cake fight."

"True," Steve said.

"Shut up! Whose side are you on here?" I slapped his arm.

"Just clean it up, please," Darry groaned. "You're not gonna see Addie until you do."

"Woah! Darry pulled out the big guns!"

"I'm not kiddin', Pepsi-Cola."

"Okay, okay, just give us a minute." I looked at Steve and quickly nodded my head towards Darry. I made sure Darry wouldn't see it, but I hoped Steve knew what I meant.  
Steve smiled at me and gave me a nod. We both got a handful of cake. Steve threw it, and I smashed some right in Darry's face. His face for a few seconds after that was priceless. It was pure shock. His eyes were wide and his mouth formed a little "o".

"You are gonna pay for that, both of you!" Darry shouted after his moment of shock.

"Uh oh! Let's go, Steve! Run!" We took off towards the door and ran outside. Darry was following behind us, but we were all laughing and having a good time.

**Olivia's POV**

Addie and I both jumped a foot, I swear. We were _not_ expecting anyone to walk in on us. The clock now read 7:58. It was almost four o'clock when Addie and I woke from unconsciousness, and nobody's been in to check on us since then. But there were two people in the room right then, and they looked surprised to see us up and walking around.

I recognized both of the people in front of us. They were both wearing their black outfits, but this time, their faces were showing. One was a boy. He was kinda tall with blonde hair. And then there was a girl. Tall, brown hair with some little blonde streaks.

Nadine.

And I recognized Joel from when we were getting jumped.

"Nadine? Joel? What the hell are you doing?" Addie shrieked.

Nadine and Joel. _Nadine_ and Joel. _Nadine._ I probably could've guessed Joel was part of this. He really hated Addie. I don't know all of the details, but she's told me about how he suspected that she was gonna leave him. And now she was dating Soda and he was pissed. I could've guessed Joel. I wasn't even _surprised_ that Joel was involved.

But Nadine?" _Nadine?_ Nadine used to be our friend. Nadine was the one who wanted to be a greaser with Addie and Hayley. We told Nadine about ourselves just to make them feel welcome. And look what we got as a reward for it. Nadine stabbed us in the back and kidnapped Addie, C and I.

And we still had absolutely no idea where C was. We had no idea if she was hurt or even alive. She could very well be dead. Addie must've been thinking the same thing as me, because she asked them where C was.

"Don't worry about her. Our really good friend has her taken care of," Nadine answered. "_Good friend?_ Who would that be?" Joel looked like he was about to answer, but Nadine smacked him, shutting him up.

"Why should we tell you?"

"Because she's our friend and we want to make sure she's okay," I responded.

"How should I know? Our friend is _really_ upset with her."

"Yeah, Lu—" Joel started to say, and Nadine cut him off with a slap to the gut.

"Ow!"

"Stop almost giving away information!" she screamed at him.

"I'm not doing it on purpose!" Nadine shook her head with disapproval.

"Anyway," she continued, "who gives a damn about C, and I don't know whether or not she's okay. My vote is, probably not. But hey, I don't know. Now we need you to answer some questions."

"I'm not answerin' nothing," Addie declared.

"Me neither," I seconded.

"You don't actually have a choice," Joel said.

"Really?" Addie replied. "What're you gonna do? You can't make us."

"Maybe _we _can't…" Joel started.

"…but Corrin's little friend can," Nadine finished, giving us a triumphant smirk.

"Who is this _little friend_ you keep talking about?" I asked.

"All I'm gonna say is, you can answer _us _with no pain, or you can answer _him_ with quite a bit of pain."

Addie sighed and leaned against the wall. "What do you want?"

"How long have you and the gang been friends?" It seemed like a harmless question, so I reluctantly answered it.

"The seven boys have been friends for a while; I'm not sure how long. C joined like a year and half ago, or something like that, and I joined about a month before Addie did. Emily joined a few weeks ago."

"Why does that even matter?" Addie asked, pretty snappily. But I couldn't blame her.

"I don't know. Corrin's little friend wants to know."

"Is C's little friend the leader of this stupid group of kidnappers?" Addie asked.

"Something like that," was Joel's response.

"Why are we even here?!" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Stop asking questions, that's our job," Nadine commanded.

"I'm done with this," Addie said. "No more questions. This is dumb. Now tell us where C is, or I swear to god I'm gonna punch you both in the throat."

"I'm not tellin' ya," Joel replied, giving her a smirk.

"I'm telling you right now, Joel, I'm not kidding. You know I will kick you where you don't wanna be kicked. I don't like you. You were always a jerk to me when we were dating. I'm dating Sodapop now, and I'm way happier than I ever was. Nadine, you wanted to be a greaser with Hayley and me! We all agreed that we didn't want to deal with Soc life anymore, and we wanted to be greasers. Now you're stabbing every single one of us in the back!"

"Are you kidding, Addie? Are you that dumb?" Nadine snapped.

"What?"

"We _never _wanted to be greasers! I can't believe you actually did! Why would you want to be? Socs get it all! We have good parents, big houses, enough food, enough clothes and cars, we have so much money that we don't know what to do with it all! And you'd trade all of that to be a greaser. Life on the bad side of town with crappy clothes, no money, and tiny houses."

"Yeah, but y'know what? I don't _care_ about any of that stuff. Greasers are _way_ nicer than Socs. You should see these boys; they're always worrying about us and each other. Because they actually care! They're polite and respectful! What do the Soc boys do? Get drunk every night and go jumping some greasers! That's real mature."

Nadine stepped up to Addie and smacked her in the face. That's right. Just smacked her right there. Addie's jaw dropped.

"You did _not _just do that," she said through clenched teeth.

"I obviously did."

Addie threw herself at her. The two girls toppled to the ground, smacking and kicking each other. I ran over help, but Joel beat me to it. He pulled Addie off of Nadine and pushed her across the room.

"Go get him," he told Nadine, nodding towards the open door. Nadine nodded and obeyed, running through the door to go get whoever Joel was talking about.

"You're gonna be sorry, now, Adeline. You too, Olivia," he snarled, stepping closer to us. I glanced out the door, which was opened. If I distracted Joel, Addie could get out the door and maybe go find help. Maybe she could get Johnny or Dally or Sodapop or Darry or anyone. Anyone could help us.

But before I could even signal something like that to Addie, Nadine returned to the room again. She was with someone I thought I'd never see again. I never wanted to see him again.

"How's the other one?" Joel asked casually.

"Taken care of. Just like these two will be soon." I saw Addie's eyes widen in fear.

"He looks familiar…" Addie whispered. I nodded.

"Uh huh…that's Luke. C's ex-boyfriend who went to jail."

"For what?"

"Abusing her."

"Shit."

"Uh huh."

"Well," Joel said, turning from Luke and Nadine, who he'd been whispering with, "have fun, girls." He smirked before following Nadine out the door, slamming it shut and locking it.

"Ready for some questions?" Luke asked. We shook our heads. "Too bad."

**C's POV**

The next time I woke up, I was alone. I remembered what happened earlier. When Luke was done interrogating me, he pushed me to the floor, where after a while, I fell asleep. Either that, or lost consciousness. But I liked the first one better. Made me seem tougher.

My head was pounding, but I managed to get up on my feet. The room was completely dark. I noticed this time that the curtains on the windows were shut tight.

I saw a big wooden door in front of me. I reached one of my pale hands out, almost afraid to touch the doorknob. What if an alarm went off and Luke knew I was trying to get out? What if the doors turned into those creepy white guard things in the Perplexahedron in that one Ben 10 episode? What if the doorknob turned into a wrinkly green hand with long nails and wouldn't let me go? Okay, so maybe I was being a little ridiculous, but I was pretty scared. I just got kidnapped by my ex-boyfriend, for cryin' out loud. I also had no idea where Olivia and Addie were. Maybe they weren't even here. I hoped they weren't. And I had to find out.

My hand touched the doorknob. No guards popped out. No green hands grabbed me. No loud, screeching alarms went off.

As long as my hand was sitting here on the doorknob, I stopped to think. Would Luke really leave me in a room with the door unlocked? I mean, sure, I was unconscious, but still, I really think he'd be smarter than that. Luke wasn't dumb. If he was, I'd have gotten rid of him a long time ago. I needed to make sure Addie and Liv were okay, though. They were my best friends, even though I haven't known them for too long. But I cared about them a lot.

So I twisted the doorknob.

To my surprise, it was unlocked. Woah. Luke should've been more careful. I peeked out into the hallway, and seeing nobody there, I quickly slipped out the door. I was careful not to let the door slam behind me.

The hallway was very brightly lit, but almost completely empty. It made me uncomfortable. I quickly but carefully walked down the hallway. There were a lot of rooms, and every door was open except for three.

All of the rooms were brightly lit, just like the hallway. Most of them didn't have windows, but the ones that did had curtains that were shut tight.

The last few rooms of the long hallway had black telephones in them.

Chewing on my lip nervously, I stepped into the first room with a phone. Maybe I could call Darry. I would say Dally, but he's crazy overprotective. He would freak. But maybe that's what I needed. Maybe I need someone that'll do something quickly, for Olivia and Ad's sake.

I was scared to call. Maybe they were monitoring the phone lines. I bet they were. I mean, you don't just kidnap three girls and leave the door to their room unlocked, and then have telephones out and waiting for them to plan their escape. But it was worth a shot.

I cautiously picked up the phone. I had the Curtis house phone number memorized; it was permanently etched in my brain as an emergency contact. It was rare to have _everyone_ out of the Curtis house; usually at least one person was there that could help.

I dialed the familiar number, my heart pounding as I held the phone to my ear. It rang and rang for about a minute until someone picked up.

"Hello?" Two-Bit.

"Hey, Two-Bit. It's C."

"Hey, C, where are ya? We haven't seen you guys all day."

"Sorry. Listen, can I talk to Dally?"

"Aww, d'ya wanna tell him how much ya love 'im?"

"Two-Bit, please. This is serious."

"Alright, alright. You _really_ wanna tell him how much you love 'im."

"Two-Bit!"

"Aw, relax. I'm just teasin'. Here he is."

"Thank you."

"Corrin?"

"Dally!"

"Christ, kid, blow my ear off why don't ya?"

"Sorry."

"Where are you girls, man? I haven't seen ya all day!"

"Dally, I don't even know. But we're in this place with a long hallway and a lot of rooms. I have no idea what it is, but I think Ad and Liv are here, too. I'm not sure though. All I know is that Luke is here, and—"

"Hold up._ Luke_ is with you?"

I nodded, and then remembered he couldn't see me. "Yeah."

"Luke, as in, the little shit that I never wanted to see again?"

"Uh…maybe?"

"Your ex-boyfriend."

"Oh. Yeah."

"Dammit…did he hurt you?" I stayed silent. "Did he?!"

"Umm...no, Dal, don't worry about it. Listen—" And then Dally was gone. There was this long beeping thing that sounded like the phone disconnected. _My_ phone. No!

"Did you really think that was a good idea, Corrin?" I whipped around to see…

Hayley. She was with someone else, too. I think it was Zack, Nadine's boyfriend.

"Hayley? What are you doing here?"

"Should we tell Luke that you're trying to skip out on us?" was her response.

"You're working with him, Hayley? What the hell? I thought you were our friend!"

"You thought wrong, _greaser," _she spat.

"Is that supposed to be an insult, _Soc?_ I'm proud to be a greaser."

Hayley and Zack both scoffed. I took that two second distraction to run out the door and down the long hallway. I wasn't a fast runner, so I wasn't really counting on getting away. I was just hoping I'd somehow run into Adeline or Olivia before that happened. I kept going until one door flew open, and I was dragged into the room.

"Luke! Let go!" I shouted.

"Gladly." He sent me spinning and I crashed into the wall.

"Jesus, that's what you used to have to deal with every day?" I heard a voice from across the room.

It was Adeline. With a black eye and bruises on her forehead. Her brown hair looked tangled and pulled. Olivia was next to her with bruises across her cheekbones, and a bloody nose.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" I asked worriedly, sinking to my knees and crawling over to them.

"Why don't you ask your freakin' ex-boyfriend?" Olivia groaned. Her voice sounded weird because of her nose.

"Luke, you did that?"

"You're surprised?"

"I hate you." Good job, C, you earned yourself a slap in the face.

"You don't hate me. That's just what you _want _to think. Deep down inside, you love me." I reached up to rub the cheek that he just smacked.

"No, I'm pretty damn sure I hate you." Another smack.

"Christ, C, knock it off," Addie said.

"No, no. Let her talk. Say it again, Corrin. Say you hate me." I hesitated for a second until he said, "well? Go on," and then I said it.

"I hate you."

"Alright," he growled, "you're done. Your friends are smarter than you; at least they knew when to stop." He grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door, making sure to lock it behind him. I struggled, but I already knew it was pointless.

"Wait, I really need to talk to Olivia and Adeline!"

"No, you don't."

"Luke, yes, I do! Get away from me!"

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"I think you heard me."

"You do what I _tell_ you to do."

"No, I don't. You're not in charge of me."

"I don't like your attitude, bitch."

"I don't give a damn."

He said nothing after that; he just dragged me to the room I started out in. He pushed me into the room and followed me in, slamming the door behind him. It made me jump.

He threw me to the ground so hard that I felt my head pounding. He knelt down next to me and pulled something out of his pocket. After a second, I recognized it as a switchblade, the one he used on me before.

"Remember this?" I didn't say anything. "I'm sure you do." He flipped it open so the blade was against my throat. "I'm not afraid to use this. If you wanna be bitchy with me, I won't hesitate."

I tried to be polite and look interested in what he was saying, but the thing is, I've heard this so many times that it was almost boring. But the next thing he said scared the hell outta me.

He took something else out of his other pocket and put it up to my temple.

His heater.

The same one that he had the day the whole gang fought him for me because I'm an idiot.

"Got your attention now, huh, bitch?"

"Can you stop using that word?"

"No. Now if you don't stop being _bitchy, _I'm gonna use this. I'm gonna use this on you. I'm gonna use this on Olivia and Adeline. I'm gonna use this on your sister. I'll use it on Ponyboy, Johnny, and every one of your stupid little friends. Especially Dallas. Yeah, I'll get him. I heard he replaced me as your boyfriend, huh? Well, I'll make sure he gets it the worst. Maybe I'll make you _watch_ that one. Or every one, that would be good, too."

I was terrified. My heart was pounding and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"That shut you up, huh? Scared now? You should be. But if you do what I tell you like a good little girl, you don't have anything to worry about, do ya?" He gave me this fake innocent smile, stuffing both the blade and the gun back in his pockets.

He stood up and slipped out the door, slamming it shut behind him. This time, he locked it. He just left me trembling and nearly hyperventilating on the cold, hardwood floor.


	26. Chapter 26

**(****_Chapters are getting longer and longer, so I'm sorry that you have to read it all...chapter 27 is the worst. It's like ten pages. Blah. Well this is twenty-six...so. There's only thirty two chapters plus an epilogue, so it's coming to an end. but don't worry, I'm already on chapter five of the sequel! Ugh i don't feel like using grammar while typing out this little note. so please review and thanks for reading!)_**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Dally's POV**

The whole gang was pretty much just sitting around, except for the three girls—including _my _girl—who had yet to be heard from.

So I was sitting across from Emily and Ponyboy. I was trying to piss Emily off, but it wasn't really working too well. She kept getting confused.

"So, Em, how's your sister?"

"Didn't you _just _ask me that?"

"I don't remember what you said, though."

"I said she was good."

"Oh, that's good."

"Sure."

"Hey, Em, how's C, man?"

"Dallas, this is like the fourth time you've asked."

"I actually asked how your sister was before."

"But C is my sister…"

"I know, man."

"What?"

"Nevermind. So, how's Corrin?"

"You're a dumbface."

"Dumbface? Real mature." I heard the phone ring, but I ignored it when I heard Two-Bit pick it up.

"Well, I'm only fourteen. I don't have good comebacks," Emily said.

"Obviously not, _dumbface."_

"Aw, shut up."

"Dal, phone for you!" Two-Bit called.

"Ugh, I don't wanna talk to no cops, man."

"It's C."

"Gimme!" Two-Bit snickered, and Ponyboy joined him from across the room. I rolled my eyes, muttering, "Shut your traps," before answering the phone.

"Corrin?"

"Dally!" she shouted. It was really loud.

"Christ, kid, blow my ear off, why don't ya?" I was kidding, of course. I was glad to hear from her.

"Sorry."

"Where are you girls, man? I haven't seen ya all day!" She started talking really quickly.

"Dally, I don't even know. But we're in this place with a long hallway and a lot of rooms. I have no idea what it is, but I think Ad and Liv are here, too. I'm not sure though. All I know is that Luke is here, and—"

My heart skipped a beat. "Hold up. Luke is with you?"

She hesitated. "Yeah."

"Luke, as in, the little shit that I never wanted to see again?"

"Uh…maybe?"

"Your ex-boyfriend."

"Oh. Yeah." Shit.

"Dammit…did he hurt you?" Silence. "Did he?!"

""Umm…no Dal, don't worry about it. Listen—" and then nothing. Nothing. There was just this goddamn long beep thing replacing the voice I wanted to hear so badly. I slammed the phone down and kicked the couch.

"Christ, Dal, she break up with you or somethin'?" Two-Bit joked.

"That's not even funny, man. Jesus Christ, man. I don't know what to do! What're we gonna do, man, what're we gonna do?!"

"Wait, she broke up with you?" Emily asked from across the room.

"God dammit, no!"

"Oh. What happened then?" I took a deep breath. I could _not_ show how much I loved this girl. It would completely ruin my image. _Get it together, Dal. Pull yourself together._

"Uh…I gotta go somewhere."

"Dal, what happened?" Johnny asked.

"Nothin', Johnny. I just gotta go."

"Where're you going?"

"I don't even know," I muttered.

"Did something happen with the girls?" He looked worried. And as I stared into his eyes, I saw something else. Guilt.

"Johnny, what d'ya know, man?"

"I don't know what you mean, Dal."

"I think you do." I looked him in the eye until he cracked.

"Okay, okay, okay. The girls slept over at Addie's house last night because they wanted to catch the people that were trashing Addie's room. They slept outside in the backyard in a tent. I tried to convince them to go inside but they wouldn't and I said if anything happened they needed to call—oh my god, this is my fault."

"Johnny, it's not your fault. But you should've told me about this. Now Luke's got 'em."

Everybody's eyes widened. Except for Emily's. She looked confused.

"Uh…what? Who's Luke?" she asked. I turned to face her, trying to breathe normally.

"_Little Shit_ is your sister's ex-boyfriend.

"She had a boyfriend before? Wow. Well…what's bad about him?"

"Her _abusive_ ex-boyfriend."

"Oh. That's not good."

"Damn right, it's not. I gotta go find them."

"Dal, you're not going alone," Two-Bit said. "We did this together the last time."

"Yeah, well, it's different this time. Corrin's _my_ girl this time. And I guess Johnny and Sodapop can go, too, if they really want. He's got Olivia and Ad too."

"Dallas, no. Everyone can go. Except not Emily," Ponyboy added.

"What?!" Emily shrieked. "That's not fair."

"_Nobody's _going. Maybe I should just go. See you guys later."

"Do you even know where you're going, Dally?" Darry's voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned around, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, I don't. So?"

"You'll be wasting your time running around trying to find them. What if he hurts them while you're busy looking for them?"

I sighed and collapsed onto the couch. "Okay, smart guy. What's your big idea?"

**Addie's POV**

Luke had just slammed the door shut, separating us from C again. At least we knew she wasn't dead.

"Ya think he's gonna hurt her?" Olivia asked.

"Are you serious? Of course he is."

"Damn."

"No duh. My face hurts. Why didn't we just answer the questions? Then this wouldn't have happened. He still got the answers outta us anyway."

"Cuz we're not weak, Ad. We're strong. My face hurts, too, but we'll deal with it."

"Yeah! We'll deal with it. We can do this."

"No doubt about it."

"Actually, there is some doubt. But let's pretend there isn't."

"Good idea."

**Johnny's POV**

Fifteen minutes after we got the call from C, we were at Addie's house. Dally was an expert at picking locks, so that's how we got in. And the place was trashed. I swear, every room in the house had glass smashed all over and things knocked down and broken everywhere.

"Woah…" Pony breathed

"Glory, what did Luke do?" I wondered.

"Could this really have been _just _Luke?" Steve asked.

"Who else would it be?" Soda answered the question with a question.

"It could've been anyone, really. Anyone he met in jail, or anyone that doesn't like Olivia, C, and Addie. Or anyone that doesn't like _us_," Darry offered.

"Why would they kidnap _them_ then?" Two-Bit asked.

"Bait," Dally chimed in. He was silent the whole time. I could tell this whole thing was killing him, he was just trying not to show it because of his "tough guy" image. He couldn't love a girl, not enough to actually _care_ when she got kidnapped. He did care, a lot, but he didn't wanna show it. I cared, and I was having trouble hiding it.

"Hey, like in that one Ben 10 episode!" Emily exclaimed excitedly. "The one where Ben and Michael Morningstar used Gwen as bait to catch Kevin, who turned evil!"

"Uh, yeah…sure," Dally replied.

"This is so cool!"

"This isn't cool," I told her. "Your sister got kidnapped, and so did her friends."

"Well, I wish they didn't get kidnapped. But otherwise, this is cool!"

Facepalm. Alright.

"Johnny, where were they last night?" Sodapop asked.

"The backyard."

"Then let's go there." I led them to the living room, where the sliding glass door leading to the backyard was.

The tent was still up behind the group of trees, like it had been the night before. I ran over to it, finding all of their bags and blankets in there.

"Glory, this tent is huge," Ponyboy commented.

"Ad told me she had a tent that fit ten people, if not more," Sodapop said. "She wanted us to all go camping some time."

"That would be fun," Two-Bit replied.

"Will you guys shut up and focus, dammit? Please?" Dally was worried. I don't know why he bothered trying to hide it. Steve called him out on it, though.

"Dallas, why don't you do us all a favor and admit how much you love C?" he teased. "You don't have to hide it."

"I don't got nothin' to hide," Dally grumbled in response.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Don't lie, Winston. You ain't foolin' nobody."

"Enough, Randle. Shut your trap and help us."

"Hey, I'm helpin'!"

"Uh huh."

"Uh…guys?" Emily called. She was staring at something on the ground of the tent.

"What?" I went over to where she was standing.

It was a green stuffed teddy bear. The little black eyes were ripped out and dropped on the ground in front of it. The little black skirt it had was torn down the side, and the nose was hanging off, stuffing falling out of it. One arm and one leg was cut off of it, and stuffing was falling out of those holes, too. There were little splotches of red blood all over it.

"Uh…what is that?" I asked.

"It's a teddy bear, genius. I recognize it," Emily said thoughtfully.

"Is it C's?"

"I'm pretty sure. But, y'know, the last time I saw it, it wasn't torn to pieces and covered in blood splotches."

"I would hope not," Two-Bit joked.

"Well, uh…who's blood is that?" Sodapop asked from next to him.

"How the hell should I know?" Emily looked away from the bear and looked up at Soda. He shrugged.

Between all of us, we found some blankets that had a little bit of blood on them, but not as much as the bear. Olivia's pajamas were also in a ball next to her bag. They were dirty and they looked stepped on. Adeline's shoes looked like they were cut with a knife or a blade, so they were falling apart, too. We also found Olivia and C's switch blades, Olivia's four-inch and C's six inch, and three bottles of pepper spray, both unopened. They were in a pile in the back corner of the tent. Olivia's blade had blood on it.

"Boy, their weapons were real helpful," I muttered to myself. Dally and I took C and Olivia's blades, even though we had our own, and Soda, Pony, and Emily each took a can of pepper spray.

But the last thing we found was the creepiest.

It was a piece of paper. With words on it.

**_ YOU'LL GET THEM BACK—IF YOU COUNT THEIR DEAD BODIES AS "THEM". UNLESS OF COURSE, YOU WANNA FIND US. FEEL FREE. YOU'LL LOSE EITHER WAY. _**

**_SIGNED_**

**_ TEAM RED_**

"Team Red? What? That's lame," Two-Bit said after reading it.

"Who gives a damn about the name? That's not the point! And what the hell is it written in, goddamn blood?" Dally nearly exploded.

"I'm sure it's not," Darry reasoned.

"What if it is?"

"Where would they get enough blood to write out a whole letter, Dal?" Steve asked him.

"From them! Who knows what he did to our girls? Maybe he tortured them!"

"They," I corrected.

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure it's _they. _They said _"Team" _Red."

"Ya know what? I don't give a damn. I just want my girl back."

"Aww," Two-Bit cooed.

"Shut the hell up." And Dally stormed out of the tent. Glory.

"Soda, Johnny, will you two go talk to him?" Darry asked. "You're all in the same situation here."

We both nodded. I didn't really wanna talk about this. I might cry. That's honestly how worried I am, and I don't wanna cry in front of Dally. He'll definetly think I'm a baby. I don't want Dally to think that. I look up to him.

"Dal, calm down," Soda comforted him when we approached him. "Everyone's worried. Just relax."

"You don't get it, man."

"What do we not get?" I wondered.

"Nevermind. I know you guys are worried, too, man."

"No, Dallas. Tell us what we don't get," Sodapop coaxed.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's…embarrassing."

"We won't tell," I promised.

"No, man. I'm not a _feelings_ person."

"It's not a bad thing, Dal," I told him. "You can't leave it all inside. Eventually, you'll blow."

"That's ridiculous."

"Not blow up, but you'll explode with feelings. And trust me, that would be a bit more embarrassing." He stayed silent.

"Look, I'll start," Sodapop piped up. "I really like Addie. Even though she used to be a Soc, she's extremely loyal and she's _really_ pretty. She cares about other people and stands up for greasers. What if I lost that? I wouldn't even know what to do. She's not only my girlfriend, but she's one of my best friends. We tell each other everything. And I'm really close with Olivia and C, too. There's a chance that they all could be really hurt right now, and I'll be honest. I'm terrified. Okay? That's me. Johnny, ya wanna go next?"

"I guess. The first time I met Olivia, I wanted to be her friend. She looked like a really nice girl, and I was right. Now, I love her. I'm not afraid to say that. I'm scared for her life, I really am. I feel so guilty about letting them stay outside, because this is my fault that they're in this mess," my voice cracked and I felt tears stinging my eyes, "and I'm really sorry."

"Johnnycake," Sodapop said quietly, "this isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself for it. If it's anyone's fault, it's Luke and whoever his stupid little sidekicks are. Johnny, don't you look at me like that! I swear, if you're gonna beat yourself up over this, I am too. This is as much of my fault as it is yours."

"No, it's not, man. Dally, your turn."

"My turn for what?"

"Don't play dumb, Dally," Sodapop scolded. "You know what for."

"C'mon, Dal. You'll feel so much better once you let it out of your system. I feel a little better right now," I pleaded. I still felt guilty. Very guilty. But hey, he doesn't have to know that.

"Fine, Jesus Christ. Ugh, I don't even know where to start."

"Just pour your heart out to us."

"Nah, no thanks. I'm not gonna be _that_ sappy. If I tell you what I'm feeling right now, will you shut your traps and stop teasing me about liking C?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Sodapop cracked a grin.

"Swear on my life," I agreed.

"Alright." He sighed deeply. "I've always loved her. When I met her, I just had this—I don't know what it is, exactly—this overprotective feeling towards her. I wanted her to like me. I act different around her because of that. I wanted her to trust me, to know that I'm always here for her if she needs it. Because I am. I'd listen to her complain or cry or laugh anytime. I'm scared to death that I can't see her right now and that she might be hurt, because even though we've only been officially "together" for like, a day, I've loved her for a year and a half. I don't usually love girls. I don't love anything. I'm Dallas Winston. This is really scarin' me man. But what if she's hurt right now? What if she's _dead?_ I could've prevented that. But I didn't." He bit his lip nervously, putting his face into his hands.

"Woah, Dal…that's deep," Sodapop commented. "That's the most personal thing I've _ever_ heard come outta your mouth."

"Yeah, well," he mumbled into his hands, "don't get used to it. And I swear to god, if you tell _anyone_ about this, you are _dead_, understood?"

"Not even C?"

"_Especially_ not C."

"But I bet that would make her feel real good."

"Too bad."

"C'mon, Dally, you don't wanna make your girl smile?"

"Shut up."

"I bet he does," I said, turning to look at Sodapop, but he wasn't even paying attention. He was staring at something behind us, but I had no idea what he was looking at.

"Hey, Sodapop!" Dally shouted.

"What?"

"What're ya lookin' at?"

"What's that thing?"

"What thing?" I chimed in.

"_That_ thing."

"I have _no_ idea what you're lookin' at, man," Dally said. Soda started walking over to the back of the yard, where there was a wooden fence that was painted a bright white. Dally and I exchanged glances, but followed him to the fence. There was another wrinkled piece of paper taped to it. It said:

**_JANUARY 15th, 1950:ROOM 235_**

**_ FEBRUARY 15th, 1950:ROOM 189_**

**_ MARCH 16th, 1950: ROOM 115_**

**_ SIGNED,_**

**_ TEAM RED_**

"That's just a bunch of random dates," I said thoughtfully.

"And room numbers," Soda added.

"It's gotta mean somethin'," Dally piped up. "They wouldn't have just _left_ it if it didn't mean somethin'." The dates rang a bell to me, but I couldn't think of what they were at the moment. I was too busy thinking.

"Hey, Darry!" Sodapop called. Darry popped his head outta the tent.

"Yeah?"

"Come an' look at this." He came fully out of the tent and jogged over to where his brother was standing.

"What's that?"

"Another note. D'ya know what this means?" Darry read the note in his head and thought for a few seconds.

"Isn't C's birthday February 15th?"

"Uh…oh, yeah! It is."

"Mhm. And Olivia's is March 16th, right?"

"How d'ya remember all these random days?" Dally asked, leaning against the fence.

"You should remember your friends' birthdays," Darry told him.

"Hey, I can remember birthdays!"

"Really? When's mine?"

"Um…March, no, April, wait, no, uh…July?"

"January 5th," I told him.

"Thank you, Johnny. And I'm assuming Addie's birthday is January 15th, right?" Sodapop nodded.

"What d'they mean by room numbers though?"

"Maybe that's where they are," I suggested.

"Yeah, maybe, but these could be rooms _anywhere_," Darry replied.

"Not necessarily _anywhere,_" Two-Bit said, coming out of the tent.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There aren't that many places in Tulsa with all those rooms. So unless they took them _out_ of Tulsa, which I doubt, they can only be in…" he stopped to count on his fingers, "…three different places."

"That doesn't sound right, Two," Soda said. "Have you been through _all_ of Tulsa, Oklahoma to know that there're only _five_ buildings with three hundred rooms? It really could be anything."

"It can't be anything," Two-Bit argued. "I can't really explain it to you guys. So just trust me. We'll get 'em back. I promise."

**Olivia's POV**

Adeline and I were sitting in silence the whole time. We were hoping that we could talk to C, but we knew the chances were slim, so we didn't get our hopes up. We probably sat there for over two hours and didn't say more than two words to each other the whole time.

"D'ya think the gang's gonna find us?" Addie asked suddenly.

"Do we _want _them to?" I wondered.

"Why wouldn't we?"

"What if they get hurt?"

"There's seven guys, plus Emily, C, and us."

"_We're_ in no condition to fight, and I'm sure Emily's not a good fighter."

"How do _you_ know?"

"Does she _look_ like a good fighter to you?"

"…No…"

"Well, there ya go."

"But there's still seven guys."

"There's seven of _them,_ too, genius."

"But some are girls."

"Eh, I guess you have a point."

"Told ya."

"Shut up."

The door flew open again. This time, it was a new face. Matt, Hayley's boyfriend. We

hadn't seen him yet, but we figured he'd be here, too, if Hayley was. It wasn't really surprising.

"Olivia," he called.

"What?" I snapped.

"Get up."

"Why?"

He came over to me and dragged me up by my hair.

"Ow!"

"Ya should've listened." He pulled me out of the room, slamming the door shut and

locking it again. He dragged me down the hallway that felt like it went on forever. Then he

stopped in front of one of the rooms. For the first time, I noticed that the rooms were numbered. This door said 115 in large numbers.

And he pushed me through the door, shutting and locking it, leaving me completely

alone.

(**_So, the notes looked a lot cooler on Microsoft Office Word because it was that cool chiller font and a blood red font color...but fanfiction is dumb like that and doesn't let you do that so it doesn't look as cool, but whatever. PLEASE REVIEW THANKS FOR READING STAY GOLD DO IT FOR JOHNNY BYE)_**


	27. Chapter 27

_(__**Hello. Well, that was a pain. Okay, so in the last paragraph of the last chapter, the formatting gets werid, I'm sorry about that. Because that's where my computer screwed up. And it CONTINUED to screw up through the rest of the story, and I had no idea how to fix it. So not only did I have to fix it on the word document, but after I'm done with THAT whole fiasco, I have to come and fix the WHOLE CHAPTER on here. Yes, I could just leave it, but I don't like that. It doesn't look neat.)**_

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Sodapop's POV**

We've been following Two-Bit around all day, and I'm worried sick for the girls. I even suggested that we split up and go in groups to these three different places that Two-Bit's thinking about, but he said he doesn't want us to be split up when we _do_ find the right place.

The first place Two-Bit brought us to was this restaurant. It wasn't like the Dingo. It was this formal restaurant that you couldn't get into without a tux or a gown. Luckily, Two-Bit knew the owner, so he explained the situation to him.

We were brought down to the restaurant's basement. I saw why almost immediately. The basement was basically this long hallway with different storage rooms everywhere. But every room was dark and unlocked. There was nothing in any of the rooms down there. Disappointed, we thanked the owner and left.

We'd just stepped into the second possibility. It was a run-down elementary school that had shut down when a tornado hit it a year ago.

"Why are we at an _elementary school_?" I wondered, looking around. There was an open foyer, but other than that, there were two long hallways, one painted blue, the other green, lined with classrooms on both sides.

"Hey, it might be the place," Two-Bit defended himself.

"Yeah, _might_," Dally burst out. "I don't want any more goddamn _mights_."

"Look, I know you're all really worried," Ponyboy spoke up. "But so are we. D'ya think I want our girls to be gone forever? C's been my best friend for a year, Olivia and Addie are the nicest girls in the world, and I haven't seen Johnny, Soda, and Dal this happy in _months._ But you gotta understand that we're doing all we can. Don't take your anger out on us."

Sodapop and Johnny both nodded, staring at the ground with guilt and sadness in their eyes, but Dally slammed his fist into the wall.

"Jesus Christ, Winston," Steve cried. "Do you have something you wanna tell us?"

"No," he muttered darkly, dropping his fist from the wall and leaning his forehead against it instead. "No." That time, he whispered it weakly.

"Dal, just tell 'em," Johnny sighed.

"Yeah, Dally. It'll make you feel better," I added.

"I don't fuckin' need to feel better."

"Woah, there, Dallas. Language, mister," Darry scolded.

"I don't give a damn!" He burst out. "I love 'er, alright? You freakin' happy now?" There were tears in his eyes. _Tears._ I didn't even know what to do. Dallas Winston was _crying_.

"Why don't you guys check that hallway, and we'll check this one?" Johnny suggested quietly, leaning against the wall next to Dally. Darry nodded, leading the rest of the boys and Emily down to the blue hallway.

"C'mon, Dal," Johnny said gently as we started down the green hallway, "we'll find

'em."

"What if we don't?" he asked nervously.

"We will."

"But what if— "

"Dally, stop!" Johnny shouted. Dally looked shocked that Johnny actually yelled at him.

"What?"

"Goddamn it, man! You're scarin' me to death, man! Glory, I'm terrified! You're right! What if we never get 'em back? What if they're gone forever? What if the last time I saw Olivia smile, or the last time I hugged her or kissed her, was _the _last time _ever_? What was the last thing I even said to her? God, man, I love everything about Olivia. She's beautiful. What if I never got to see her again? Man, I don't even know what I'd do."

Dally was silent, but he looked awfully guilty.

"C'mon, Johnnycake, relax," I said comfortingly, putting an arm around his shoulders. I was trying to fight the tears stinging my eyes. I realized that both of them were right. "We're all worried sick. All of us. So are the rest of the guys, and I'm sure Emily doesn't wanna lose her best friends and her sister, yeah?" Johnny nodded. Dally looked down at the ground. "Maybe you're right. They could be gone right now." I felt tears slip. There was no stoppin' 'em. "Or, there's a pretty good chance that they could be seriously hurt and need medical attention. If that's the case, shouldn't we be trying to help them instead of wasting our time worrying?"

Johnny heaved a sigh. "Sorry, man. You're right." His voice cracked.

"Yeah," Dally agreed. "We gotta find them though."

"Group hug?" I proposed. Johnny hugged me, but Dally stayed where he was.

"Christ, man. I'm _in love_ with a girl. I didn't _turn into_ one."

"Get over here," Johnny laughed. He joined the group hug, and when we all pulled away, he was smiling.

* * *

The elementary school wasn't the place, either. In both hallways, the rooms had windows on the doors. The lights were off, but most of the doors were unlocked. There were desks and chalkboards and shelves full of books, but no girls, no Luke, no human beings besides the eight of us.

"This is hopeless," Emily groaned, leaning against the outside wall of the school.

"Don't give up hope yet!" Two-Bit cried in a strange, over-dramatic voice. "We still

haven't checked the last place!"

"They haven't been in the last _two_ places," Johnny said nervously. "What if they aren't

in the last one either?"

"Then we don't give up," Two-Bit responded seriously. Well, seriously for him, anyway.

"Good attitude," I agreed.

**C's POV**

Man, I hate being stuck here. Look, I miss Dally so much that I just said _man_. I hope he's not worrying too much. Dal doesn't look like a person to care, but he does care. I have proof: when he thought Johnny was gonna die, he nearly committed suicide. Suicide by cop, but suicide all the same. Would he do that if he didn't care? I think not.

Is it weird that I feel super bored in here? I mean, I guess it's not _that_ weird. It's better than worrying about everyone else. What if they're hurt? I would hate myself forever if they were, because this is all my fault. If I didn't stay with Luke…if I wasn't such a weak idiot…ugh, I'm annoyed with myself.

Luke wasn't actually always like this, believe it or not. He was pretty cute. He'd always smile and laugh. He was always gentle. He was just a generally happy guy; his dark blue eyes were always bright. He had manners and we didn't get into one fight in the first month of dating.

But then something changed. It was totally sudden. Luke got super possessive, always keeping a tight grip on me when a guy walking past even looked at me. When I confronted him about it, he got defensive. He claimed that it was only because he loved me so much that he'd hate to see me with any other guy.

And that's when he started hitting. And pushing. And pulling. And kicking. And so much more that by the end of the week, I would feel like a thousand bricks had been thrown at me.

I sighed quietly, thinking of the first month I had with Luke. It was like a dream. It _felt _like a dream. Sometimes, I'd wonder if it was. Because "amazing Luke" and "abusive Luke" felt like two completely different people now.

It was actually pretty hard to trust people now, though. I didn't show it much. The only reason I trusted Dally (and I _did_ trust Dally) was because I've known him for a while. And I loved him. I also trusted him because I've seen him in action. The last time someone threatened to hurt me, he flipped. He flipped with Luke, he flipped when Socs are around, and he flips a lot. So I trusted Dally. I trust Dally.

Because I love Dally. And that's not an easy thing to admit to. I'm not a lovey-type girl. I have trust issues because of Luke. I don't think I'm pretty. I have long, straight, boring brown hair and ugly, boring brown eyes. I'm not as thin as most girls. Most guys just didn't like me. I wasn't attractive. So love wasn't my thing. Luke was my first boyfriend, and you see how _that _turned out. So I don't like admitting it when I like boys. Not even to myself. But Dally's an exception.

I heard the lock in the door jiggling around. Someone was opening it again. Great. And then Luke entered the room. Big surprise. He hated me the most out of anyone here. I swear, sometimes these guys are completely predictable. They need to work on that.

I sat up straight, looking at Luke. I expected him to say something, but he didn't. It was kinda creepy how his blue eyes were boring into me.

"What do you want?" I asked after I couldn't take it anymore.

"I need to talk to you."

"I don't wanna talk to you."

"I don't care." I sighed. He sat down on the floor in front of me, smiling at me like we were best friends. It was a smile that I haven't seen in a while. A smile that I only saw from "amazing Luke".

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"Well, I was trying to be friendly about this whole thing, but I see you'd rather be a bitch. So I guess we'll play it the hard way, then."

"Good." A lie, but I didn't wanna show him the fear inside of me. Because it was there, no doubt it about it. It was _definetly _there.

"Good for _me._" He reached out, and I flinched. All he did, however, was pick up a strand of my hair. He turned it over it his fingers. "God, you're _that_ terrified of me? You're not tough, kid. Don't act like you are."

"Don't call me _kid._ I'm fifteen."

"Exactly. You're a kid."

"I don't like you."

"I think you do."

"What makes you think that? You said so yourself, I'm terrified of you."

"But you still love me."

"No, I really don't."

"You're so goddamn annoying, y'know that?" I nodded, but he continued. "Honestly, I don't even know why I liked you in the first place. You're a pretty one, I'll give ya that."

"You don't gotta lie," I interrupted. "I know I'm a worthless piece of shit. You've reminded me plenty of times."

"Good, you should know that. Why does Dallas even like you so much anyway? He can do _way_ better than you. You're not _that_ pretty."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Do you actually want something, or are you just here to tell me stuff I already know and piss me off?"

"Maybe both."

"Hurry up, then. I'm tired."

"Have you been sleeping well?"

"What do _you_ think?" What the hell was wrong with him?

"If you're not, you can sleep in _my_ bed with me."

"No thanks, I'll pass on that one. You have a freakin' bed here? What the hell?"

"Hey, I need to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?"

"You're asking too many questions."

"Go away."

He pulled his blade out of his pocket, flipping it open. It was longer than mine. I didn't even have mine with me. I left it in the tent at Addie's house. I jumped up onto my feet, backing up.

"Aww, did the little baby lose all of her confidence?"

"Stay away from me, I swear to god." My voice was shaking. Glory.

"I don't think I will. You're being rude."

"_I'm_ being rude? _I'm_ not the one who kidnapped three girls!"

"That's not rude. There's a reason you're here. Besides, you _were_ my girl." Another smile. The "amazing Luke" smile.

"That doesn't give you permission to do _any_ of this."

"What're ya gonna do 'bout it, kid?" The door was still open. I could make it out. I'd probably get caught again, though. I just wanted to get away from Luke. He was being really weird and I just had this bad feeling about it.

"Y'know, Dallas Winston is my _boyfriend_ now. He's not gonna like you messin' with me. He's not gonna let you get away with this. Not this time."

He stood up and was uncomfortably close to me in two steps. His switchblade was still out, the blade shining in the dark room.

"If I'm getting in trouble anyway, shouldn't I give him something to be mad about?"

"What?" I asked, confusion in my voice.

"He's already gonna be mad at me. So why should I just stop here?"

"No, Luke, it doesn't work like that."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't." I stepped back, but I was up against the wall. I hit my head against it. Not hard, but it still hurt like hell. I swear my skull was cracked. It constantly hurt and I felt like I might pass out all the time. If I ever got outta here, I'd have to go to the hospital. I hate hospitals, if you couldn't already tell.

He was almost leaning on me. I was up against the wall.

"Luke, get off."

"Who's gonna make me? Dallas?"

"Get. Off."

"Make. Me." And his lips touched mine. This was not good. I tried pushing him off, but he just grabbed my hands and pinned them to my sides. Before I knew it, my lips were forced open and his tongue was in my mouth. Too far. Way too far. I wasn't taking this. I kneed him where a guy should never be kneed. And I ran through the open door.

**Addie's POV**

I was sitting in the room alone now. Olivia, who I'd been with since waking up in this weird place, was gone. They took her. I don't know where she is now. All I know is, I'm completely alone.

Except for Joel, who'd been with me since Olivia had left. And he wasn't being nice. He was being really rude, in fact, and I think he's lucky that I hadn't punched him in the mouth yet.

"Y'know I'm not the only one mad at ya, right?" he asked me.

"Who else is mad at me?"

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Joel threw me an evil smirk before saying, "C'mon in."

The door flew open to reveal another Soc girl. I knew her. We were best friends before I became a greaser. She had short light brown hair and she was wearing a pink blouse with a white sweater over it. She had a black skirt that went just past her knees.

"Hi, Addie," she said, giving me an icy glare.

"_Brianna_? You're part of this?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because of you."

"Me? What did _I _do?" I asked incredulously.

"So you're dating Sodapop Curtis now, huh?"

"Yeah…so?"

"Remember you were supposed to do something when you became a greaser?"

"Uh…get a leather jacket?"

"No, you idiot. Somethin' about Sodapop. And me."

"Oh! I was supposed to hook you up with…Sodapop. Oh."

"And _now_ who's with Sodapop, huh?"

"Soda wouldn't have dated ya anyway. You're a Soc."

"I don't care. You said you'd try. And now _you're_ dating Sodapop. You know how much I liked him, Adeline! Now you're gonna pay for it. You and all your _stupid_ little greaser friends. And I'm dating someone new now. So there." And she stormed out of the room.

"Bitch, please," I laughed.

"This isn't funny, Adeline," Joel growled. "Who knows how many of your friends are hurt now? Because of you. And Corrin. Both of you."

"Why can't you just let Olivia go then? She's not part of this!"

"We would, but she's actually really pretty for a greaser chick. We might have to do something to her so _our_ girls don't get jealous."

"You lay a _finger_ on Olivia, and I'll beat the shit outta you," I threatened.

"It might already be too late. But, hey, I don't know."

And I punched him in the nose. Right in the nose. Blood gushed out of it and he was swearing like crazy.

"Y'know something, Adeline? You're a _bitch_. I'm done dealin' with your crap." He pushed me to the ground and pulled out his switchblade, sitting on top of me and cutting my forehead. Not enough for me to bleed out anytime soon, but it would bleed. And eventually, maybe I would bleed out.

I heard a high-pitched scream, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then I realized that it was coming from me.

**Dally's POV**

I cracked. Earlier today, I cracked.

I promised myself that after I thought Johnny died, I would never ever cry again. Ever. But I did. Over Corrin. I cracked. I cried, and now I feel weak. Sure, Johnny and Sodapop cried, too. But they aren't Dallas Winston. They don't have a reputation to live up to.

After leaving the second place, everyone was pretty bummed, even though we still had the last place to go to. Two-Bit tried to keep everyone's spirits high, though we could tell that he was worried, too, so there really was no point at all. Johnny and Sodapop were as scared as I was, but after letting out those stupid tears that have been threatening to fall all day, I felt a lot better. I felt normal again, and I did a better job of hiding my fear. Better than Johnnycake and Soda did.

The last place we ended up at was this hotel. It was huge. It was six stories with two halls in each story. That was twelve halls altogether. But it was abandoned. It was a pretty secluded place. It was a weird location to have a hotel.

"This place is kinda creepy…" Ponyboy said, wrapping an arm around Emily's shoulders.

"Shoot, kid, this ain't creepy. You should see my uncle's house," Two-Bit remarked.

"Your _uncle's house_ is creepier than an old, abandoned hotel that's in the middle of nowhere?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Two-Bit said, shrugging. "It's surrounded by a dark forest with really tall trees and there's shadows everywhere. People claimed that some of the furniture and stuff would just move randomly or completely disappear. At night in their beds, they would hear sounds of strangled screams and moaning and groaning. The last three people that lived in that house ended up dying. Their dead bodies were all found hanging from the roof."

"You're makin' that up," I muttered.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Okay, maybe I'm stretching the truth a little."

"Obviously."

"But I'm serious about the shadows and forest and stuff. I don't know, that house gives me the creeps."

"Alright, Two-Bit," I laughed, "you're scarin' the kids." I nodded over to Ponyboy and Emily, who were squeezing each other's hands. They both looked creeped out.

"Sorry, guys," he apologized. Emily and Pony both gave him a small smile.

We managed to get through the long, uncut grass to the doors. They were big glass doors. They were as wide as five of us standing in a row and probably four standing on top of each other. Only problem: they were locked.

"Now how do we get in, smarty?" Steve asked Two-Bit. He shrugged.

"Darry, d'ya wanna try to pry it open?" he suggested.

"Glory, Two, I roof houses. I'm not the freakin' Hulk."

"I could see ya as the Hulk!" Two-Bit joked. "You'd be all yellin' at Pony for makin' Em pregnant or something. You'd flip on 'im!" Both Pony and Emily's faces were really red.

"Alright, we don't need to be talkin' about this in front of fourteen year-olds," Darry declared. "Especially talking _about_ fourteen year-olds."

"Thanks, Dar," Pony said, his face still a bright red.

"Yeah," Emily agreed.

"Don't mention it. Now let's find a way to get in here." The sound of their voices was already growing distant to me. Because I saw something off in the distance. A big rock. And big rocks were _perfect_ for throwing at glass. I approached it and picked it up, turning it over in my hand. It was dark gray, about the size of a men's sneaker. I turned around and came back to the rest of the gang. They were still talking about how to get it open.

"I got this, guys," I reassured them. "Just take cover." Everyone looked at each other nervously and ran to the sides of the building. I exhaled and threw the rock at the door with all my strength. There was this huge smashing sound, and then glass cascaded down everywhere. The whole right half of the door was completely broken.

"Jesus Christ, Dal, what the hell?" Johnny cried.

"Hey, it opened the door, didn't it?" He shrugged.

"Careful, guys," Darry warned. "There's broken glass everywhere."

"We're fine, Darry, stop worryin'," Sodapop said.

Everyone carefully made their way through the door, avoiding the broken glass. There was a big lobby and three sets of staircases.

"Um…so do we split up or somethin'?" Johnny asked suddenly.

"I guess…I don't really want to, but there's six floors. If they're here, they could be anywhere," Two-Bit responded.

"Alright, we'll do two groups then," Darry declared. "Johnny, Sodapop, Steve, you guys are with me. We'll take the top three floors. Ponyboy, Em, Two, and Dal, you guys are together. Everyone sticks with their groups. No wandering off alone, ya hear? And watch out for each other."

"Got it," everyone chorused, and the two groups split up.

I decided that we would start at the third floor, the highest floor that our group would do, just so when we were done, we'd be on the bottom floor and wouldn't have to walk all the way back down. So Two, Pony, Em, and I climbed up two flights of stairs to get to the third floor. The hallways had really bright lights, I noticed as we were climbing up the stairs. When we got to the third floor, the four of us slowed down to look around. There was a long hallway full of rooms. Pony and Em went stayed out in the hallway in front of the room that Two-Bit and I walked into. I flipped the light switch, but the lights didn't turn on.

"D'ya think they've got light bulbs in 'em?" I wondered.

"Let's find out," Two-Bit suggested. He pulled a mini flashlight out of his pocket.

"You keep a flashlight in your pocket?" Emily asked.

"In case of emergencies," Two-Bit answered, turning it on. The light was pretty bright for such a small flashlight. He flashed it into the only light in the room on the ceiling.

"It looks like it was ripped out," I noted.

"Maybe it was," Two-Bit shrugged.

In a few of the other rooms, the light bulbs worked, but most of them were either ripped out or they just wouldn't turn on. Either way, there was nothing on the whole third floor the hotel, in both hallways.

So we moved down to the second floor. The second floor looked a little different from the first floor. And the weird thing is, as we were walking up, the hallway was lit up. Now, as we were walking back down to check out the two halls on the second floor, it was nearly pitch black.

Except a light from _one_ room at the end of the hallway.

Most of the doors in this hallway were shut, but not locked. The rooms, like the ones on the third floor, had beds and dressers. But the ones on the second floor also had bathrooms. We checked every one of those, too. As we were checking the fifth bathroom, Emily came up to me.

"Dally?" she said quietly.

"Yeah, kid?"

"What if we don't find 'em?"

"Don't talk shit like that, man. We will."

"I hope so."

"Me too, kid. Me too." I threw an empty tissue box over my shoulder and left the room. Two-Bit was standing out in the hall, just staring.

"Hey, Two, what're ya lookin' at, man?"

"Why's that light on at the end of the hallway?" I shrugged.

"I dunno, man. Wanna find out?" He nodded, and I got Pony and Em from the bathroom.

We slowly made our way to the end of the hallway where the dim light of the room was spilling out into the pitch black hallway. I led the way in, followed by Two-Bit, Emily, and Ponyboy. There were two tables in the room. And a chair. But nothing else except the lamp that was giving off a dim light. And one more thing. Another note on the table.

** R, S. B T T **

** T, Y. G D **

** S. Y ' .**

** S G E ,**

** T A R D**

"What the _hell _is that shit?" I wondered.

"It's obviously a letter from Team Red," Pony said.

"Really? I thought it was from Emily," Two-Bit joked.

"What? Why me?" Emily asked.

"Because it says _tard._"

"Oh, thanks, Two. Really."

"No problem, Em!" he laughed.

"Be nice, Two-Bit," Pony interjected.

"I'm just teasin'," he defended himself with a grin.

"Well, no duh it's a letter," I said to Two-Bit. "But what the hell does it mean? It's just random letters."

"Um…take it with us. Maybe we'll find some clues on the first floor. It's the next place we're going, anyway."

"Alright, man," I agreed. "Let's go."

Downstairs on the first floor, there was nothing. None of the lights were on anywhere, and there was nothing suspicious at all. It was kinda weird. We still checked every room, but we found nothing out of the ordinary.

"Shit, man. We got nothin'," I sighed, leaning against the wall outside of one of the doors.

"Don't give up, Dal," Two-Bit said. "Maybe the other guys found something."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Dally—" Pony started, but he got cut off.

"Guys, guys, guys!" It was Steve. Followed by Soda, Johnny, and Darry. They all ran up to us. They looked kinda worried.

"D'ya find 'em?" Emily asked.

"Nope," Soda said, disappointment in his voice. "I see you guys haven't either."

"Nah," Two-Bit replied, "but we found a note."

"So did we," Johnny cried. "But it was complete gibberish."

"Really? So was ours," Ponyboy said.

"Lemme see yours," I asked. Sodapop pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I looked it over.

_O ' , R E E . U A _

_ , . O O _

_ . _

_ I N D,_

_ E M E _

"Emily's at it again," Two-Bit joked.

"What?"

"It's signed _Eme_ this time! Like, short for Emily!" He burst out laughing.

"Ha ha, very funny, Two-Bit," Em said sarcastically.

"I don't get it," Steve said.

"Ours is signed _tard_. I joked that it was Emily. This one is signed _Eme._ Which is close to Emily. They're both from Emily. Get it?" Steve continued looking confused. "Eh, you had to be there."

"Well, what do these mean?" Darry asked. "They're just a bunch of random letters."

"Wait…" Emily said suddenly. "Can we go back upstairs? To the second floor?"

"What? Why?" I asked.

"I need the lamp. The lamp in the last room."

"Why?" But she was already half way up the stairs. "Bring the notes!" she called.

We all exchanged confused glances, but followed Emily up to the second floor into the last room. The small lamp was still on.

"Gimme the notes," she commanded, and I handed her one and Ponyboy gave her the other one. "Thanks."

"I still don't know what you're tryin' to do, kid," I said, leaning against the wall.

She placed the other groups note down on the table underneath the lamp. Then she put our group's on top of it. Then she picked them up and held them up so the lamp was shining directly onto them. She began reading what it said aloud.

** Y O **_U ' V_** E M **_A D_** E **_I_ **T T **_H_** I S F **_A_** R**_,_** G **_R E_** A S **_E_** R S**.** B **_U_** T **_A_** T **

**T **_H I _**S P **_O I _**N T**_,_** Y **_O_** U **_M_** A Y **_B_ **E T **_O _**O L **A** T **_E _** A** **L **_R E A _**D Y. G **_O O _**D **

** L**_ U C _**K ** _F_** I N **_D_** I **_N_** G **_U_** S. Y **_O U _**' **_L _**L **_N_** E **_E_** D I T .**

** S **_I_** G **_N_** E **_D_** ,**

** T **_E_** A **_M _** R **_E_** D**

Right as she finished reading the last word, we heard an ear splitting scream coming from somewhere in the hotel.

* * *

**_Pretty long chapter, sorry about that. Anyway, I hope the format for the notes turns out right. It looked way cooler on the computer, because I made the two notes two different shades of red, and when they combined, it looked pretty cool. Took forty-five minutes, yes, but it looked cool. So yeah, it took TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES to fix the formatting on this, and it will continue to do so until I get to the sequel. So, I hope you appreciate that. Thanks for reading and please review!_**


	28. Chapter 28

**(****_Hey! So this is chapter twenty eight...after this one, there's only four more chapters (I think), and then an epilogue! YAY! I just wanted to reply to the one review about how the POV changes too much. I'm aware, and it kinda bothers me a little bit, too, but my friend was complaining that the other characters don't get enough attention in this, so I was trying to include the other ones a little bit more. I'm really sorry about that. But in the sequel, I'm already on chapter seven, I think, and the POV only changed once. But it's not gonna change that much in the next one...so I'm sorry if that bothers people. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and thanks for reading!)_**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**Olivia's POV**

I heard this really loud scream echo through the hallway and I sat up straight. I looked over at Hayley and Matt, who had been sitting in room 115 with me, watching my every move.

"That was Addie," I declared, trying to quickly stand up, but stumbling.

"Calm down, _princess," _Matt sneered. I glared at him, because Johnny calls me that a lot. Just not mockingly.

"Don't worry your pretty little head over your stupid friends," Hayley added. "You don't need 'em. Nobody does."

"The gang needs 'em," I corrected. "I need 'em."

"No, you don't," Matt countered. "In fact, we'd like to make a little deal with you."

"I'm not making a deal with anyone," I said confidently.

"Nah, I think you'll like this one. Tell her, Hay."

"Alright, hun, listen up," Hayley said, releasing Matt's hand from her grip and walking over to where I was leaning against the wall. I took a deep breath, resisting the urge to punch her in the face. "You're actually _really_ pretty for a greaser, surprisingly. And Addie is, too. But Addie was a Soc first, so no surprise there. And Joel and Brianna aren't on good terms with Ad at the moment. So we can't offer to _her_ what we can to _you._"

"Would you just get to the point already?" I interrupted.

"Be patient. I _really_ don't wanna hurt you, but I won't hesitate to do so if I have to." I rolled my eyes but stayed silent. "We're giving you a chance to help yourself, here. Team Red—"

"Team Red?"

"Team Red. The name we came up for the seven of us. Instead of saying all of our names, we're Team Red."

"Lame," I muttered.

"_I_ love it. Now, what was I saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted? Oh, right. Team Red wants you to ditch your little group of idiots and join us."

"Join you? Are you _kidding_ me?"

"Nope. We can promise that if you join us, you won't get hurt. You'll be perfectly fine."

"What about my friends? And Johnny?"

"Your friends, including Johnny, will get hurt."

"What? Why?"

"It's just the way it works."

"You really want a _greaser_ in your little group of Socs?"

"Luke's a greaser, too, hun. It's not about Socs and greasers. It's about a common enemy. Do you really think your so called 'friends' care about you? If I killed you right now, do you really think they'd care?"

I thought about this for a minute. I knew the answer to that question. And an idea popped into my head. After hesitating, I finally said something.

"Sure. I guess I'll join Team Red."

"Final answer?"

"Yes."

**Johnny's POV**

"Where did that come from?" I asked, referring to the scream we just heard from somewhere in the hotel.

"It was Adeline!" Soda screamed.

"What?" Steve asked, confused.

"That scream! It was Adeline, man, I know it was! It was Adeline! What are they doing to her? My poor girl…Adeline!"

"Soda, relax. We'll find her," Emily reassured him.

"Where did it come from?" he asked quickly.

"It didn't sound like it was coming from up," Steve observed.

"Where is would it be coming from, then?" Soda wondered.

"Down," Ponyboy muttered under his breath.

"What?" his oldest brother asked.

"Down," Pony repeated louder. "Like downstairs."

"Um, we're already on the first floor, genius," Dally said.

"Who says there isn't a basement?" Emily asked.

"Maybe there is," Two-Bit agreed. "We just need to find it."

So we went off around the first floor to find some type of entrance to a lower level. Sodapop sounded absolutely sure that it was Addie who screamed. So they _had_ to be here. They just had to. I needed Olivia back. I needed her so badly. I've never loved someone this much in my life. She was my girl, and I swear as soon as I find her and the people who kidnapped them, I'll never let her out of my sight again, and I'm gonna beat the crap out of them. Nobody messes with my girl. And even if _I _didn't beat the crap out of them, Dally and Sodapop would. Sodapop was always overprotective of Sandy. And Dally didn't love often, but he was pretty protective ofus _guys._ He'd be _way_ overprotective of a _girl_ that he loved.

Looking around the lobby of the dark, worn-out hotel, I noticed that the floor was a darkbrown color. It was hardwood. But there was this one panel on the ground that looked differentfrom the whole rest of the floor. The wood color seemed lighter, and the panel jutted out just alittle bit. I walked carefully over to it and quickly slipped my fingers under it, pulling it up.

Bright light shined out through the square-shaped trapdoor. There was a ladderunderneath it, and the ground was about ten feet down. It looked like hardwood down there, too,but other than that, all you could see was about three steps leading to more hardwood.

"Guys," I whispered. Only Sodapop and Pony heard me, though. They looked over at me,and I pointed to the trap door. Quietly, they called the other five over.

"Well…what are we waiting for?" Dally asked. "Let's go."

"We need to be quiet," Darry whispered. "Right now, stealth is our best friend."

"Stealth?" Steve looked confused.

"You don't know what stealth means?" Ponyboy asked incredulously.

"Nope."

"It's like sneakiness," Emily offered.

"Exactly," Darry agreed. "So be quiet."

"Wait, guys, before we go down…" Ponyboy started.

"What now?" Sodapop sighed.

"I think M&M should stay up here."

"What? No! Why?" Emily whispered loudly.

"Maybe that's a good idea," I agreed slowly.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Well, because," Pony started, trying to think of a reason that wouldn't sound offensive, "you're a…well, you're a…"

"Girl," Steve finished for him. Pony nodded.

"That's not fair," Emily pouted. "I know you guys are all overprotective of everyone and stuff, but they're my best friends. Corrin's my _sister_. I'm _not_ staying out of this. You can't make me, but I appreciate the concern." Pony shot Darry a concerned glance, but Darry shrugged.

"I don't know, kiddo, she's got a point. And she'll be safe as long as she sticks with one of us at all times."

Pony sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you don't leave my side, ya hear?"

"Got it," Emily nodded.

"Speaking of sticking together," Darry continued, "nobody's goin' off on their own. We take these guys down _together_. No heroics."

"Can we just get down there?" I spoke up impatiently. Who knew what they were doing to my Olivia? Darry nodded, and I carefully lifted the trapdoor up all the way and started down the ladder.

"Woah," I whispered. The two steps led out to a really long, bright hallway. It was so long that I couldn't even make out the end of it. The walls were white, and large wooden doors lined the whole hall.

"Jesus," Dally muttered, stepping down from the last rung of the ladder and shielding his eyes from the bright light with his hands. It was a pretty big contrast from the six upper floors, all of which had bright lighting as we were walking up, but coming back down, most of them were either dimly lit or almost pitch black.

The rest of our gang slowly made their way down the ladder, quietly groaning about the light.

"Every door is shut," Two-Bit observed after his eyes adjusted.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Dally said sarcastically.

"Just focus, please," Sodapop said, his voice full of worry.

We started down the hallway, coming to the first door. The large rusty numbers on it read "1". The door was open, and there was a bright red phone hanging on the wall next to a table. On the table, there was an alarm clock that read 7:17 PM. It had hardwood floor, but other than those things, it was completely empty. I noticed that odd rooms were on the right side, and even were on the left. The next five rooms, labeled two, three, four, five, and six, had the same exact thing, except the phones varied in color from black, white, and red. The next room had a hardwood floor, but the walls were bright yellow with no phone. It was labeled seven. Eight, across the hall, had no phone, but the walls were a bright green. An idea popped into my head.

"Wait…can I see the second note we got?" I asked, stopping abruptly.

"Which one was that?" Sodapop asked, digging through the pockets in his jeans.

"The one that had their birthdays with a random number next to it." Sodapop found the one and pulled it out, smoothing it out a little before handing it to me. I examined it, taking a closer look at the words in red.

_**January 15th, 1950: Room 235**_

_** February 15th, 1950: Room 189**_

_** March 16th, 1950: Room 115**_

_** Signed,**_

_** Team Red**_

"Could these be room numbers?" I asked. "And their birthdays are the room numbers they match up to?"

"That makes sense," Ponyboy agreed. "What would the first room number be?"

"March 16th, 1950, room 115," I read off the paper. "Olivia."

"Okay, let's get moving then. We gotta walk all the way from eleven to one hundred fifteen," Sodapop said, speeding up his pace. We continued walking at a quick pace, trying to be silent, but it was kinda hard considering there were eight of us walking in a big group. Up to door number twenty, the rooms were open with brightly painted walls. But once we got to twenty-one, the rooms got a little bit creepier. The doors were still open, but the windows were now boarded shut and the wall color was a gloomy gray.

"Why did the rooms change from bright to…not bright?" Steve wondered.

"I don't know," Emily responded. "Maybe it means something."

"What could it mean?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of the numbers on the doors on the right side. 25, 27, 29, 31. Golly, I miss Olivia. 33, 35, 37, 39. I miss C and Addie, too. I just want to give everyone big hugs and never let them go. 41, 43, 45. The rest of the gang was having a quiet conversation behind me, but I wasn't even paying attention. _My_ full attention was trained on the hallway in front of me. Sights, sounds, smells, and the numbers on the doors.

So when I heard loud, frantic-sounding footsteps, I stopped in my tracks. It sounded like the person was running. I pretty much figured out _why_ the person was running when I tore my gaze away from the door marked "53" and squinted down the hallway.

It was C.

As she got closer, she looked worse and worse. Her brown hair was tangled, her face was bruised, and her jacket and jeans were ripped. When she finally got up to us, she threw herself at Dally so hard he staggered backwards, but he caught himself and wrapped her in a tight hug as she clung to him. They were both trembling, C out of terror and Dal out of relief. Or terror for her. Or both. Probably both.

"I love you," she said softly, but the whole gang still heard it. He hesitated for a second, as if unsure what to say in response. He glanced at me, and I gave him a reassuring smile and a little nod.

"Love you too," he whispered. Her tired eyes lit up and a huge smile formed on her face.

"Aww," Two-Bit cooed, "our little Corrin and Dally are growing up."

"Shut up," C giggled weakly. "I missed you guys."

"We missed ya, too, C," I said quietly with a smile.

"Did you find Ad and Olivia yet?" Her eyes, that were filled with love a second ago, were now full of worry.

"No. We're lookin' for room one fifteen right now. Olivia's supposed to be there," Sodapop explained.

"How do you know?" she wondered.

"Long story," Dal broke in. "We'll tell it when everyone's safe and not in danger of bleedin' to death." He threw a worried glance at his girlfriend, who I noticed for the first time was pretty cut up.

We continued walking down the hallway, and the room numbers started going up again in my head. 59, 61, 63, 65. We were getting closer to the one hundreds.

"So, who kidnapped you guys?" Dally asked C, trying and failing to make the question seem casual.

"Promise you're not gonna murder them if I tell you?"

"No promises. That's a promise I can't make."

"Dallas! Then I'm not tellin'."

"I'll get it outta ya later," he muttered, rolling his eyes. 75, 77, 79, 81. I really want Olivia. Dally and C's reunion made me miss Olivia even more, although I'm glad we got C back at least. Two more to go. 85. I tore my eyes away from the numbers long enough to look at everyone who was walking behind me. Sodapop was just behind me with concern in his eyes. Steve was next to him, who looked kinda worried himself. Behind that were Darry and Two-Bit, walking at nearly the same pace, next to Emily and Pony, who were holding hands. Dally and C were at the back of the group, and she was pressed to his side. There was no way C was getting out of _that_. It didn't look like she wanted to though, so it didn't matter. He was clearly concerned about her health, eyeing every visible cut and bruise on her body. They were talking quietly, and so were Sodapop and Steve.

I turned my attention back to the gold numbers. 95, 97, 99, 101, 103. We were getting closer. I've said that before. But now we're closer than before.

"We're almost there, Johnny," Sodapop said. "Relax."

"I'm relaxed," I replied.

"You're shakin' like a leaf," Steve chuckled. I noticed for the first time that he was right.

"I'm just scared for her, man. What if she's not okay?" Sodapop thought about this for a minute.

"Hey, C," he called suddenly.

"Yeah?" her reply was weak and shaky.

"Have you seen Ad and Olivia lately?"

"Earlier t-today, yeah. But t-they s-separated us again."

"How were they?"

"I-I guess they were a little bit better than m-me. I'm p-pretty sure my s-skull c-cracked a few times. B-but Joel's here, too, and h-he's not too happy with A-Addie…so I'm not sure. L-Luke got to both of them, too, at one p-point. H-he told me." Her shaking was causing her to stutter like crazy, and her breathing was coming out heavy and shaky, too.

"Luke got to 'em?" I repeated, my heart sinking.

"Yeah. They're…T-they're okay though…I-I'm pretty sure…I'm so so so sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Sodapop said with sadness in his voice.

"It really isn't. At all," Dally added, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down. His attempt wasn't working, though.

109, 111. 113…115. The door was open and the room was empty.

"Dammit…" I whispered. I felt tears stinging my eyes.

"J-Johnny, it's okay," C whispered. "T-They switched our rooms around a l-lot. Maybe they took her to a d-different room. D-don't worry."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ponyboy asked her, turning away from the empty room to look at her. I looked back at her too, waiting for her answer.

She nodded, and Dally sighed.

"Obviously not," he answered for her, "so let's hurry up so we can get outta here."

"But I'm okay…" she started.

"Shut up," was Dal's simple answer. She listened.

"Where else would they be then?" I asked, leaning back against the wall.

"The r-rooms go from one to t-two hundred fifty," she informed us. "All the way down the h-hallway. T-they could be in a-any one of t-them."

"And Addie's almost all the way down then," Emily commented. "If she's in two thirty- five, and they go to two fifty, that's almost all the way down."

"Right…maybe we should split up," Darry suggested.

"I thought we all agreed we _weren't_ gonna do that."

"But we have to find _both_ Olivia and Adeline," he protested.

"I d-don't t-think it's a good i-idea," C whispered. "There are seven of them. S-seven of you. Y-you guys s-split, it'll be f-four of you against s-seven of them."

"She's got a point," Ponyboy agreed. "We might find one after the other, but we'll all be protected that way. It'll be fine. Seven against seven."

"What am I, a piece of dirt?" Emily asked.

"No, you're my girl, and I'm not gonna let you get hurt," Ponyboy responded. "You're not fighting."

"But…"

"You're. Not. Fighting. End of discussion."

"That's not fair," she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"End of discussion."

"Fine," she groaned.

"Yeah, you can sit out with your sister," Dally agreed as we continued walking down the hallway.

"Who said _I'm_ sitting out?" C asked shakily.

"Me. Look, we don't want anything else to happen. You've been through enough." Dally looked at C with a stern, but caring expression.

"Oh, trust me, C, he cares _that_ much," Steve laughed. "You should've seen him earlier. The whole day he was mopin' and cryin'—"

"Cryin'?" C broke in. "Over what?"

"Over you." That earned him a smack in the shoulder from Dally.

"Aww," she said softly. Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms in a huge bear hug. He whispered things into her hair that was inaudible to the rest of the gang. They stayed like that for a while, but when Dally finally pulled her away to stare seriously into her eyes, there were tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Don't argue with me please, babe. Just listen to me. Stay out of this. It's bad enough that you're this beat up already. Please. Just stay out of it for me. Okay?"

Her eyes were wide in shock, probably because Dally was crying over her. The only person Dally ever cried over was…me. But she nodded her eyes still wide, in response to what her boyfriend said. He smiled a sad smile and kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you." She smiled back in response.

I glanced back at the rusted door numbers again. 167. We'd been walking for a while. We still had to get all the way down to 235. Why'd they have to space them out so much? Well, they probably _wanted_ to make this hard for us. Duh.

"How much longer do we gotta walk?" Steve whined.

"Addie's room is two thirty-five," Darry said.

"And we're at room 171," Emily added.

"How the hell does a basement have two hundred fifty rooms?" Two-Bit cried. "In what world does that make sense? Thegoddamn_hotel_ isn't even that long!"

"This hotel was built differently," Ponyboy stated. "They wanted it to be the longest hotel in the world, so they started from the bottom and went up. But instead of making the first floor first, they made this basement. The whole basement took two and a half years to complete, considering there weren't many people on the job. By the time they got up to the first floor, the people hired to build the thing decided that it was too much work to have all six floors as long as the basement. So they cut it off. The hallways are still fairly long, just not as long as they were supposed to be." The whole group looked at him with wide eyes.

"How the hell d'ya know all that?" Dally asked. Pony just shrugged, and Emily laughed.

"He's smart! Don't underestimate 'im." She threw an arm around his neck, and he blushed.

179, 181, 183, 185. Boy, this hallway sure was long. I was glad that they cut off the hallways upstairs. We would've been up there looking forever.

"Man," I spun around to face the rest of the group suddenly, "What if we don't find 'er?"

"Johnny, we will," Sodapop reassured me.

"I'm worried sick, man." I felt my voice crack and tears were stinging my eyes again.

"Me too," Sodapop said quietly.

"Guys, s-stop. They'll be okay. They can't be any worse than me, and I'm not that bad."

"_Not that bad?_ Glory, C, you might have a minor concussion or something! You're pretty bad! And what if they're even _worse_ than that?"

"Worryin' isn't gonna s-solve anything. Let's just hurry up and find them."

I sighed in response and glanced back to the doors. 195, 197, 199, 201.

"We're getting closer to Addie," I commented.

"And what if she's not in her room either?" Soda asked.

"Then we check every room. They're down here somewhere, right, Corrin?" Emily asked and her sister nodded.

205, 207, 209, 211, 213, 215. We were twenty rooms away at that point and my heart was pounding.

"Calm down, Johnnycake," Ponyboy said gently. "We'll get there."

219, 221, 223, 225.

"You too, Sodapop. Everything'll be okay."

227. 229. 231. 233.

"We're almost there!"

235.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**Sodapop's POV**

I stepped up to the large wooden door that was labeled 235 in big rusty numbers. Slowly bringing my hand to the silver doorknob, I twisted it. Locked.

"What if she's in here?" I asked, twisting the doorknob repeatedly as if it would open because I wanted it to. I was desperate. I needed Adeline. She knew what loyalty meant. She stood up for the greasers, even though she comes from a Soc family. Even though her friends were doing something different.

"Step aside, kid," Dally said smoothy, releasing C's hand and approaching the door. "I got this."

"You sure, Dal?" Johnny asked hesitantly. "I don't think they'd make these locks easy to pick."

Dally laughed. "Please. I've been pickin' locks since I was seven. I've picked locks in _jail_." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few straightened paperclips. He kneeled down in front of the doorknob and got to work.

"Maybe it's not gonna work," I said after a minute, unable to keep the worry out of my voice.

"Relax, kid," Dally muttered, not looking up from the doorknob. "This ain't a two second process." After about thirty seconds, Dally stuffed the paperclips back into his pocket and stepped back from the door.

"Couldn't do it?" I asked sadly. He grinned back at me.

"Try it out for yourself." My eyes widened, and I quickly stepped up to the door, twisting the knob. It opened. The lights were off in the room. I looked over at Dal, who was triumphantly smirking.

"Go ahead," he urged. So I stepped into the room, feeling around the wall for a light switch. But before I could, something flew at me, and I fell to the ground.

"Ow…" I groaned. "What the hell…"

"Sodapop!" A girl's voice cried. _My_ girl's voice.

"Adeline!" I wrapped my arms around her, enveloping her in a hug. I still couldn't see her, since the lights were still off, but I felt her pull out of the hug and press her lips to mine instead.

So we were in this really heated kiss when the lights snapped on. I blinked a few times and then looked up at Dally, whose hand was still on the light switch. My little brother was standing next to him, along with C and Johnny. Awkward.

"Man, that was some kiss," Dally laughed. "I wish Corrin kissed me like _that_."

"Shut up, Dallas," Addie, C, and I all said simultaneously.

I looked at Adeline for the first time in the light. She looked terrible. Gorgeous, but terrible. Her lip was cut, her cheeks and arms were covered in dark blueish purple bruises, and her forehead was dripping blood.

"Jesus, Ad," Ponyboy said, "what did they do to you?" He leaned in for a closer look. "Does your forehead _say_ something?"

"Say something?" she asked, confused.

"This isn't over…" C read from Addie's forehead.

"…signed, Team Red," I finished. It wasn't written with a marker. It was written with a blade.

"Glory," Johnny whispered.

"This is ending now," I declared, pulling Adeline into my chest. "We're finding Olivia and getting the hell outta here."

"You're forgetting something," Dally muttered darkly.

"No, he's not," C said quickly.

"We still gotta kill every single one of them."

"Dallas, you can't," she said worriedly.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me I can't."

"_You can't_."

"Do you even know where Olivia _is_?"

"We'll find 'er, Dally. Don't. You're scarin' Johnny more."

"Well, sorry. But I'm not letting this off the hook. Who's to say that they won't do it again?"

"_Dally_."

"Don't _Dally_ me."

"Can we talk about this _after_ we find Olivia?" Johnny asked.

"We're not talking about it at all. I'm killin' em, whether she likes it or not. End of discussion. Let's go." C bit her lip and followed Dally out the door.

"He's not serious, is he?" Addie asked me.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "You girls shouldn't even be with us. We should get someone to take you to the hospital."

"No, no, no. We're sticking with you guys 'til the end of this."

"With concussions and bruises? C can barely stand up straight without Dally's support, and from the looks of it, neither can you. That forehead of yours is gonna keep bleedin' 'til there's no more blood left. What then?"

"Then…I die," she shrugged.

"Dammit, Adeline. Say it again."

"No, that's okay. I think you heard me the first time. But no hospitals."

"But…"

"Promise?"

"I don't know, baby, you're in pretty bad shape." I pulled a random handkerchief from the bottom of my pocket and dabbed lightly at the blood dripping down her forehead. She winced. "Sorry. See what I mean?" She shook her head, and I sighed.

We continued walking down the hallway. I kept asking Ad if she wanted me to carry her, but she insisted that she was fine, so I just let her lean on me as we walked. I felt her getting more and more tired as we went on, and I could see that C was nearly passed out on Dally in front of us.

"That's it," I said suddenly, stopping. "We need to get them outta here."

"No…gotta…find…Olivia…" C muttered, her eyes still closed.

"Mhm," Addie nodded in agreement.

Dally glanced at me, as if he was asking for help. I thought for a second and sighed.

"Wanna bring 'em to one of the rooms?" I asked.

"As long as they're safe there," he responded.

"Hey, Dar," I called, "can you open one of the doors for us?" He turned around and looked at us like we were crazy.

"Will they be safe in there?" he asked.

"Safer than they are walking around with us," Dally responded.

"A'right…" Darry sighed. He pushed open the nearest unlocked door, which was labeled 244. It was on the opposite side of the hall. We pulled Addie and C in the room and gently set them on the floor. Dally was talking quietly to his girlfriend, pushing her hair out of her face, so I decided to talk to Adeline quickly.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Love…too…" she whispered back, already half asleep. I chuckled.

"Go to sleep, baby. Everything will be okay. I'm so sorry that this happened to you."

"Please be careful."

"I will be."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Don't get hurt."

"I won't get hurt too bad. Just relax and sleep."

"Mhm." I stroked her hair until Dally got up and left the room, and I followed him.

"I really think they should go to the hospital," I told Dally as we walked out.

"I do, too. But we have unfinished business with these _Team Red_ idiots."

We joined the rest of the gang, who was waiting for us at room 245. There were five rooms left and still no sign of Team Red or Olivia.

Until we hit room 250.

"Get down," Dally hissed, pulling Pony down by his sweatshirt sleeve just in time. One of the Soc boys spun around, but seeing nobody, turned back towards the rest of the group.

"I know that guy," Johnny whispered. "Remember him, Dally? He's one of the guys that always tried to jump us."

"Yup. What was his name?"

"Um…Joel? I think?"

"I don't really give a shit."

"Yeah, that's Joel," I interjected. "Addie's ex-boyfriend."

"Who else is in there?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Dally snapped.

"Okay, jeeze."

"Nadine…" Ponyboy whispered.

"What?" Emily asked.

"Nadine's in there."

"So's Hayley," Johnny whispered. "And Matt and Zack."

"And some other Soc girl," Two-Bit added.

"Brianna," Pony informed us. I looked at my little brother curiously.

"How did you know that?" I asked.

"I'm observant," he shrugged. "She goes to my school. She's one of Cherry's friends. And she was Addie's friend, too, when she was still a Soc."

"When do you have time to notice all this stuff?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Hey, C's pretty observant, too. Don't make fun of _me_."

"Guys, can we focus here? Please?" Johnny asked desperately.

"Hey look! There's Luke," Two-Bit pointed out. "And…"

"No…" Johnny whispered. I quickly put an arm around him, looking through the window in the door. This was the only door with a window, and I thought it was kinda suspicious that the only room that we could actually _see_ them in would be the one they're all in. Unless they're just plain dumb.

The last girl in the room was paying close attention to every word that Brianna was saying, although we couldn't hear it through the door. She had long, straight red hair and a ripped up jean jacket. She was the only one in the group that looked beat up. It looked an awful lot like Olivia. But…it couldn't be Olivia. Olivia was loyal. Olivia was a greaser. Olivia was Johnny's girlfriend. It couldn't be Olivia.

But it was.

"It's okay, Johnnycake, it's okay…this has to be a misunderstanding," I whispered when tears started running down his cheeks.

"What could we be misunderstanding?" Dally demanded. "That's _Olivia. Our_ Olivia."

"But maybe…"

"No, Sodapop," he snapped, "maybe nothin'. Not everyone is as trustworthy as you think they are. People are backstabbers. Right when everything's bad, it's always someone's job to make it even worse."

"Dally, don't think like that," Johnny whispered, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his jean jacket and leaning against the wall. "Maybe Olivia…"

"Don't stick up for the kid if she's working with the damn _Socs_."

"But Olivia's not like that."

"Apparently, she is. You just didn't know it."

"Guys, guys, guys," I interjected, "we don't have time for an argument. Remember your places. You're team members. They're Team Red, and we're…"

"Team Gold," Johnny interrupted.

"What? Why gold?" I asked.

"Team Gold," Ponyboy nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright…then _they're_ Team Red and _we're_ Team Gold. We've got two members of Team Gold down already, and taking time to argue isn't helping them. We trust each other and we have each other's backs."

"We trusted Olivia, and look how that turned out," Dally mumbled.

"Cool it, would ya, Dal?" Steve said. "You're upsettin' the kid." He motioned to Johnny.

"_The kid_ needs to understand that not everyone is worth trustin'. She's not even worth worryin' about."

"But…"

"Hell, I say, if Olivia's stickin' with them, let's just _go_."

"I'm not leavin' her here," Johnny declared.

But before any more arguing could take place, the door to room number 250 flew open, and the whole Team Red was glaring at the eight of us from the doorway.

"Would this be a bad time to say that I'm hungry?" Two-Bit joked and I sighed. I noticed Olivia, who had been staring at her red and white Converse high-tops, crack a smile at that.

"Two-Bit!" Emily hissed.

"What? We've been searchin' all day. I haven't eaten since eleven this morning!"

"Where you had a whole stack of pancakes and bacon," I added.

"Are you really gonna discuss this now?" Darry asked incredulously.

"Right. Back to business," I said, shaking my head.

"What do _you_ idiots want?" the Soc girl, Brianna, demanded.

"What the hell do you _think_ we want?" I answered angrily.

"Obviously, you're here to get your asses kicked," Luke replied.

"_You're_ the ones who're getting your asses kicked," Dally growled. "You'll wish you were never _born_ when I'm through with you."

"Oh, I'm terrified," Luke said sarcastically, taking a step closer to him. Dally stood his ground. "You're not as scary as you think you are, Winston," he spat.

"Olivia…" Johnny whispered weakly, which stopped a major fight that would've broken out just then if he hadn't.

"Oh, you like our new team member? Thought ya might. She's a looker, that's for sure." Johnny's breathing got heavier, and Brianna cleared her throat at that remark. "Sorry, babe, you're gorgeous," he said, shooting her a smile, and she smiled back.

"Johnny, calm down," I whispered.

"I can't help it, man. I've waited all this time to get her back, and…she's gone." The poor kid looked so heartbroken, I couldn't even take it. I turned away from him and glared at the redhead who was looking guiltily at the ground.

"Well, enough talk," Hayley finally said. "You idiots wanna kick our asses? I dare ya to try."

"You kiddin'?" Steve asked. "Half of you are girls. We'd _crush_ you."

"Don't be so confident," Joel sneered.

And the seven of them, with the exception of Olivia, all pulled out their heaters and pointed them at us.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

**C's POV**

"Adeline…" I groaned quietly.

"What?" she mumbled from across the room.

"It hurts."

"You're not the one with words cut into your head."

"My skull cracked. Three times."

"We are _not_ in good shape, are we?"

"No. Not at all."

"What about Olivia?" she whispered.

"I hope she's okay. I have no idea where she is."

"Are we gonna die?"

"Don't talk like that. We'll be okay."

"We better get to the hospital soon then," she said, and I gave her a weak half-nod in response before everything went black again.

**Dally's POV**

I can't trust nobody. Not one person on Earth. Usually, I trust Johnny. Hell, usually I trust the whole gang. Not as much as I trust Johnny, but I trust them.

It took a lot for me to trust people. And once I have your trust you do something to betray it, I might not ever trust you again. Every bit of trust I had for anyone—even Johnny—instantly disappeared when I saw Olivia on the enemy's side. Honestly, even when something good happens, which is rare for us greasers, something bad comes along right after to ruin it.

For example: Corrin. An amazing thing that came into my life, to be honest. I didn't even get a full three days to enjoy that. She got kidnapped. Now she'll need to go to the hospital. Dammit, what if she leaves me forever? What if she goes way, way up where I'd never be able to reach her? I'd kill myself. And then I'd be even further away from her. I'd be way, way down. I'd never see her ever again. And even though she was beat up badly, I got her back. And now something bad happened to ruin that again. Olivia joining Team Red.

So who do I trust? Nobody. I trusted Olivia. She took care of Johnny. And now she broke his heart. All of my trust in anyone has completely disappeared because of that.

"I'm warning you right now," I said through clenched teeth, staring into the barrel of Luke's gun. "I'm not in a good mood. If you want to live, you'll drop the guns, allow me to beat the living shit outta every one of you, and watch us leave." By then, I was shaking, my hands were clenched into fists, and my skin was pale.

"Dally, calm down," Olivia said hesitantly.

"Shut the hell up," I snapped.

"Dally," Johnny scolded.

"Don't you _dare_ defend that little bitch," I said, not turning to look at him.

"She's not a bitch."

"Oh yeah, you love her, don't ya?" Joel taunted. "Well, watch this." He grabbed Olivia's shoulders and spun her around to face him. And he forcefully pressed his lips against Olivia's, snaking his arms around her waist to pull her body against his.

I watched her struggle a little, but she couldn't get away, and honestly, I was in no rush to help her out with that. Especially as I watched Johnny become more and more crushed throughout the whole kiss.

"You little bastard," I whispered when they finally pulled apart. Olivia said nothing. She stared at the ground, her face filled with guilt and disgust.

Johnny was shaking. There was hurt in his dark, sad eyes, and they were shimmering with tears that would fall any second now. His bottom lip was quivering. And I couldn't take it anymore.

I threw myself at the person who was standing at the front of the group, who just happened to me Luke—excuse me, Little Shit—and Joel was right behind him. Wait, I don't like Joel. Maybe I should call him…Big Shit! Aren't I creative? The two bozos tumbled to the ground, falling on top of each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ponyboy grab Emily's hand and pull her to the door with C and Addie in it. He threw it open, pushed her in gently, and then slammed it shut again. He joined us again, standing in a defensive stance next to his older brothers. Big Shit and Little Shit clumsily stood up together.

"You're _dead_, Winston," Little Shit snarled.

"We'll see who's dead after this, asshole," I replied before punching him square in the nose. The red blood started dripping down to his mouth, and he wiped it with the back of his sleeve. And then I had three heaters all aimed at my face. The girl I didn't even know, but Pony said it was Brianna, Nadine, and Hayley.

"How dare you touch him!" Brianna shouted.

"Oh, please. What're ya dating now?" I asked flatly.

"Actually, yes, we are," she responded. I was going to reply with some witty remark, but Olivia caught my eye. She was staring at the ground. It looked like she was staring at nothing, but I followed her gaze to the corner, where Little Shit's gun had skidded when I punched him in the nose. She was planning on taking the gun. God, I couldn't believe that little bitch betrayed us. I really liked her, too. She took good care of Johnny. One less kid I had to worry about. But now…she made it worse. She made _him_ worse.

So I was prepared when she tried to dive over to the gun. I saw her make the slightest move, and I pushed through the three girls that were surrounding me. I didn't think they'd shoot those guns. I mean, they're…_girls_. _Soc_ girls. They wouldn't want to get blood all over their nice, expensive clothes. I was actually _praying_ that they wouldn't use the guns. If someone got hurt…

Anyway, I threw myself at Olivia with so much force that it threw us both to the ground.

"Dally!" she cried, trying to pry my arms off of her waist.

"You're not getting that gun," I said through clenched teeth.

"I'm trying to help _you _guys," she whispered, so quietly that I almost didn't hear it.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "_Now_ you're gonna say that so you don't get _killed_."

"Dallas, please, you gotta believe me. I love you guys. I love Johnny."

"You don't love Johnny. You made Johnny _cry_. Look at the kid, he's _crushed._"

"And it's _killing_ me," she said. Her voice cracked. "Look, Dal, I only did this to help you guys. I have a plan, I swear. Just don't tell _anyone._"

"Why not? You don't care if anyone else is killed? Ya only care if _you're_ okay, huh?"

"No! Dally! It's more believable if _none_ of you know! Team Red can't know that I'm only doing this to help you guys, or else I won't be helping you anymore!" My mind screamed at me not to believe her. It _screamed_ that she was a liar. A traitor. A bitch.

But my heart said something else. My heart said to trust her. She was telling the truth. She was Olivia. _Our_ Olivia. She loved us. We loved her. So I let go of her.

"You better know what you're doing. And I swear to god, if you're lying…"

"Trust me, Dallas. Can you do that?" Again, my mind screamed no. Trust is nothing. Trust isn't real. But I nodded against its wishes.

"Yeah. I can trust you."

"Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."

"Whatever."

She took off towards the gun and managed to slip it in her pocket and cover it with her shirt without anyone noticing. I gave her a small nod of approval, and she gave me a nervous smile back. That kid couldn't shoot anyone. I don't know what she was thinking.

"You and me, Winston!" I heard Little Shit shout from across the hall. Jesus Christ.

"You wanna fight _me_?" I asked cockily. "Please, man. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"When you're messing with my girl, I get mad," he threatened.

"I didn't even _touch_ Brianna," I scoffed. He stepped closer to me and lowered his voice down so only I could hear it.

"Not _Brianna,_ idiot. _Corrin._" I felt my eyes narrow.

"Corrin's _my_ girl."

"I don't think so."

"What makes you so sure?"

"We kissed today."

"_What?!_"

"It was fun. Just like the old days."

"Back when you used to _abuse_ her?" I growled.

"Exactly!"

I couldn't help it. The next thing I knew, my fist was plowing into his stomach. And then all hell broke loose. Every single person there was fighting someone. It was pretty even, because it was seven on seven, but then some of them from _their_ team were girls.

I walked over to where Little Shit was lying on the floor and pulled out my heater, aiming at his head.

"Woah, put the heater away, kid," he chuckled, sitting up. _Kid_?

"I'm not a kid. And I'm sick of you."

"What're ya gonna do about it? Kill me?"

"Actually, yeah, I think I just might." And I swear, I was about to pull the trigger, too. But I didn't. Because something—someone—stopped me.

"Dallas, you pull that trigger, and I swear to god..." I heard the weak voice from behind me.

"Corrin, I told you to stay in that room!" I shouted, spinning around to look at her.

"And then you shoot someone while I'm in there. Smart. Gimme the gun."

"No."

"Can we _all_ just put the guns away before someone gets killed?" Adeline. And Emily was right behind her.

"Get back in that room before one of _you_ get killed!" Sodapop shouted, pushing Zack off of himself.

"Let 'em stay," Little Shit laughed. "They've been through all this already, they can handle it." He stepped closer to C, and she backed up quickly.

"Touch her _once_," I threatened, "and I'll put a goddamn bullet in your head in a _second_." I saw him reach into his pocket for _his_ heater, and I smirked when I remembered that Olivia had it. Good.

"Dammit!" he cried. "Matt!"

"Gotcha!" He threw his gun across the hall and it landed _perfectly_ in Little Shit's outstretched hand. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. His heater was aimed at C again, and Joel and Zack's guns were aimed at Adeline and Emily.

"Everyone against Team Red, drop the weapons or we'll make sure these are the last few breaths these girls _ever_ take. And you're next," he announced. Everyone from our team—Team Gold—glanced at me, like they were asking what to do. I chewed my lip nervously in thought…

And gave a small nod. Everyone from Team Gold dropped the switchblades and heaters—including me.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**Johnny's POV**

****This can't be happening. Olivia. Our Olivia. _My_ Olivia. She's on the opposite team. The evil team. I can't believe it. I _won't_ believe it. I can't even focus on this fight. I've been staring at Olivia, hoping this was all just a terrible nightmare. That I'd wake up any minute, next to Olivia, and everything would be okay again.

But this _wasn't_ a nightmare. This was completely real. And it was terrible. I feel like my heart was just torn out of my chest. I trusted Olivia with everything I have. And I _still _trust her. I still love her, whether or not she still loves me. No matter what Dally says, I don't believe that Olivia's a bitch. She had to have a reason for doing this…right?

I looked over at her again. She was beat up quite a bit—almost looked like she'd fall over any second. She was chewing on her bottom lip nervously, and I desperately wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay, regardless of whether or not that was actually true. But I couldn't do that. She happened to look up at that moment. She was almost staring into my eyes.

Almost like she was pleading for help. And I couldn't help her. Because I didn't know what side she was on.

We started into each other's eyes from across the hallway for about ten seconds. And then she looked away just as quickly as she'd looked over at me. But in those ten seconds, her eyes told me every emotion she was feeling. Guilt. Sadness. Helplessness. Terror. She needed me. And I needed her, too.

And then I snapped back into reality.

"Everyone against Team Red, drop the weapons or we'll make sure these are the last few breaths these girls ever take. And you're next." Team Red had guns aimed at all of the girls from Team Gold. We all looked over at Dally, since he's dealt with Luke personally before, and he's experienced way more fights than anyone else has. And when he gave a small nod, dropping his gun to the floor, everyone else followed suit.

I sure hoped he know what he was doing.

"Good," Joel said, smiling evilly. "Olivia?" The girl nearly jumped outta her skin.

"What?"

"C'mere." I noticed her whole body trembling as she hesitantly took Joel's outstretched hand. "You know what ya gotta do, honey," Joel continued with feigned sweetness in his voice.

"Mhm," the redhead gave a little nod, reaching into her right pocket. But before she could grab whatever was in there, Luke grabbed her wrist.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"What? What's what?" she jumped nervously, tugging her shirt further down. Luke slammed her into the wall, and her head smacked against it.

"Olivia!" I burst out involuntarily as her eyes closed and she winced. It just slipped out. That _had _to hurt her.

"Shut up," Zack commanded from behind me. I shot him an icy glare before turning back to Olivia and Luke.

"What's _that_?" Luke repeated, pulling Olivia's shirt up to the pocket of her jeans.

There was a heater in her pocket. But not just _any_ heater.

_Luke's _heater.

"You little bitch!" He shouted, tugging the gun outta her pocket. Then he slapped her in the face, sending her across the room and into my arms, coincidentally. I took a deep breath and kissed her lips lightly. I didn't care if she hated me. I loved her so much. So I kissed her, and I didn't regret it. Then I set her down gently and turned back to Luke.

"Don't touch her!" I cried angrily, throwing myself at him and tackling him to the ground.

And then, the hallway was a full, blown–out warzone. People were flying everywhere, and every person in the hall, including the girls, was occupied with fighting off someone else. Dally took over with Luke for me, so I was busy with Joel. Joel kissed Olivia. And maybe Olivia doesn't love me anymore. I hate that thought. But even if she doesn't love me, she was clearly uncomfortable when he kissed her. Nobody makes my girl uncomfortable without getting a major beating. But Olivia had Luke's gun. That had to mean something, right? Right? Maybe she was on our team all along.

I didn't know if that was true. Maybe Olivia _didn't_ love me anymore. Maybe she _wanted _to be on Team Red. But the small hope that she still loved us—loved me—filled my body and gave me a huge amount of confidence.

"You messed with the wrong greasers," I said quietly, but with strength behind my voice.

"I know about you, Johnny," Joel snarled back.

"What?"

"I know you. I know your life."

"You don't know _anything_."

"You're Johnathan Cade, born March 1st, 1949. Abused by parents, both physically and emotionally, since you were a small child. Stupid. Lost. Unloved. Nobody needs you. Nobody _wants_ you. You're a pain. A joke. A lost cause."

I think his goal was to make me mad, but it didn't. It couldn't. Because I _knew_ all that stuff was true. I hear it almost every day. From _both_ of my parents. It hurt when it came from _them._ But this kid doesn't even know me. He's a Soc. He doesn't know how it is to be a greaser. He doesn't know how it is to have to work for what you want. To have parents that abuse you and don't support anything you do. To have to be jumped for doing absolutely nothing, just for the fun of the Socs.

But if I was given a chance to become a Soc, I wouldn't do it. Believe it or not, I like being a greaser. Sure, I'd rather be someone where there were _no_ greasers or Socs whatsoever. But as long as there _are_ greasers and Socs, I've realized that I'd rather be a greaser. I'd rather have a whole group of friends who would do anything for each other and love each other than a group of friends who are drunken idiots, jumping innocent kids for fun.

"You messed with my friends," I responded calmly, "and I'm not happy about it."

"Well what're ya gonna do about it, _greaser?"_

"I'm gonna make sure you don't get away with it," I shouted before punching him in the face. It caught him off guard and sent him flying down the hallway, into Nadine and Emily, who were pulling each other's hair back and forth and slapping each other. Nadine got the most impact, though, and flew through the air with Joel, landing hard.

"Nice, Johnny," Emily called, and I smiled back at her. Joel and Nadine didn't even get up. They pretty much lay there, just watching the whole fight at that point. Steve and Two-Bit also took care of Zack and Matt, and they were both unconscious. At least we had two of them out for good right now. Now we just had two girls left. And Luke. The girls wouldn't be a problem, but Luke? He was the main cause of this whole mess.

Dal was getting beat up the most, surprisingly, but he _was_ the one dealing with Luke. It was clear to me that nobody else really had that many fighting experiences on Team Red. But Dally was holding up just as well as everyone else was, even though he was the most beat up. I noticed Ponyboy was talking to Adeline and C, who were trying their hardest to stay conscious. I ran over to them.

"You girls holdin' up okay?" I asked concerned. They both nodded, but Pony interrupted.

"No, they're not. We _really_ need to hurry. They're both losing a lot of blood and their faces are almost white." I nodded, seeing that Ponyboy was right.

"Uh—just hang in there, guys. You can do this. We'll be outta here soon, just hold on. And ya gotta try to stay awake, too. Fallin' asleep's gonna make it worse. Savvy?" They both nodded weakly. I glanced over on the other side of the hallway, where Olivia's eyes were still closed, and she was lookin' awfully gray.

"I gotta go check on her, Pony," I sighed.

"But she's on the enemy side. She betrayed us."

"I know, I know. But I still love 'er, y'know?" Ponyboy thought for a second, and nodded with understanding. I gave him a thankful smile and ran over to where Olivia was, crouching down next to her and laying a hand over her forehead. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Hey, Johnnycake," she whispered.

"How ya doin'?" I felt my heart breaking even more.

"I don't feel good."

"I can tell. It's okay…we'll get outta here."

"I'm gonna be sick."

"Go ahead. I won't look at ya." I turned my head as she threw up next to herself. But one of my hands automatically moved to her back and rubbed in soothing circles. When she was done, she took a deep breath.

"Sorry." I continued rubbing her back.

"It's okay; we'll take ya to the hospital when this is all over. It'll be okay." I looked up just in time to see Dally stumbled backwards, and Luke take Two-Bit and Steve's heads and smack them together. The two fell to the ground unconscious. Olivia gasped.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" she whimpered. I jumped up and ran over to Dally, helping him back up to his feet.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"This bastard's going down," he growled, nearly pushing past me. Emily was busy fighting Hayley, but she was holding up pretty well, actually. So I left her alone. Luke kicked Dally away from him, and somehow got behind C. I don't even know how it happened. But he had a gun to her head, and it was definetly loaded.

"Come any closer, and I'll shoot," he warned. Dally's eyes blazed with anger, but he knew he couldn't do anything, so he stayed where he was.

"S'okay, Dal, calm down," I soothed, hearing his heavy breathing. He ignored me. I wondered where Brianna was, and then I saw her leaning against the wall, watching the whole thing go down. She happened to have a gun, and I didn't, so to be honest, I didn't wanna get in her way.

Since I was watching her, I saw when she pointed the gun, and I saw who she aimed it at. C. And I also watched as C's face turned paler and paler until it looked gray. And as soon as I heard the gunshot, I whipped my head around, watching C fall to the ground, unable to keep herself standing upright any longer and the bullet lodging itself in another chest, instead.

Luke's.

He fell to the ground, blood pouring from his body. C struggled to crawl over to him, her eyes wide. Dally ran over to his girlfriend, pulling her by her waist away from the bloody boy. Brianna just killed that kid. He was evil, sure. He deserved it, sure. But a _Soc _just killed Luke. A seventeen year-old just died tonight. Brianna ran up to him with tears in her eyes.

"Luke! Luke, please be okay, please! I didn't mean for it to hit you! It was supposed to hit her!" she pointed a trembling finger over at C, who was still being held back by Dally. "_She's _the one that was supposed to die! _She's _the one that used to date you!" She dropped to her knees.

"Brianna…" Luke whispered. "Get rid of them. Kill 'em all. Do it for Team Red. Make us proud. Make _me _proud." She nodded with tears in her eyes.

"I love you," she sobbed.

"Love…too…" And he was gone. His eyes glazed over, and his chest stopped its slight movement. Luke was dead. _Luke was dead. _Brianna picked up the gun, ready to aim…

But stopped. She dropped the heater and it clattered to the floor as she ran through the hallway, bawling.

"Oh my god…" C whispered, before passing out in Dally's arms.

"Shit…" Dally whispered. "Let's get outta here. Now."

Dal, Sodapop, and I grabbed C, Addie, and Olivia, and Darry grabbed Steve. Ponyboy picked up Two-Bit's top half, and Emily grabbed his legs. And we went down the long hallway as fast as we could. Team Gold was broken, but intact.

* * *

**One more chapter plus an epilogue. Gasp.**

**This chapter sucked. **


	32. Chapter 32

**(****_Well...here it is. The final chapter. It's pretty long, I'm sorry to say. It was ten and a half pages on Microsoft Office Word. Sorry to make you read all this...but hey, it's the last chapter. But I have a epilogue, too, so keep an eye out for that! And I'm already on Chapter Seven of the sequel, so that'll come out probably right after I post the epilogue! Pleeeeease review! Please! It'll make me so happy! I'm in a bad mood because today at school, somebody called Johnny a weak character. Don't say that about my Johnnycake, I'll snap your neck. Ahem. Anyway...here ya go!)_**

**_(By the way, I accidentally posted this wrong the first time, so I deleted it and reposted it, in case that showed up on anyone's notifications...sorry 'bout that.)_**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

**Olivia's POV**

When I woke up, I felt dizzy and like I had to throw up. I quickly sat up and looked around. The room was really bright, and I didn't know where I was for a second. And then when I looked around; I realized I was in the hospital. Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I flinched. But it turned out to be Johnny.

"Sorry for scarin' ya," he apologized. "How're ya feelin'?"

"I'm sorry, Johnny," I cried, throwing my arms around him in a hug. I felt him tense up, but then he relaxed and hugged me back. I felt tears falling from my eyes. I knew I couldn't stop them, so I didn't bother trying.

"Calm down, Olivia. What're ya sorry for?"

"For everything," I sobbed into his shoulder.

"You didn't do anything."

"Yeah, I did! I pretended to be on Team Red because I was trying to help you guys and find out what they were planning but it didn't work at all and it just made you cry and it made Dally not trust me—or anyone—anymore and I'm so, so, sorry but it's probably too late now you probably hate me and don't love me anymore but I still love you with all my heart and I'm so, so, sorry!" I babbled on and on. I wasn't even sure if anything I said was understandable the whole time I was bawling. When I was done babbling, I just continued to cry into his shoulder.

"It's okay, relax," he kept whispering, stroking my hair. "You don't have to cry. You're okay now; everything's okay. Nothing's gonna hurt you anymore. I won't let it."

After a few minutes, I was all cried out. Johnny pulled a few tissues out of the tissue box on the table next to the bed and handed them to me. I took them hesitantly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again, wiping my eyes.

"Don't be sorry. Just relax." He continued to rub my back.

"Sit with me," I pleaded, patting the empty space next to me on the hospital bed.

"I don't wanna hurt ya."

"You won't." He sighed and lay down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders gently and brushing my hair with his fingers.

"So…Dal told me about how you were pretending to be on Team Red."

"Yeah, and I'm _really_ sorry about that. I was just trying to help and all I did was make things worse. I know I made you really sad, but I didn't mean to, I really didn't. I felt _so_ bad when I saw your poor little face when you saw me with them, or when Joel kissed me. By the way, I promise that was _completely_ him. I didn't enjoy _one second_ of the kiss. It was pretty disgusting, actually," I made a face.

"Yeah, I could tell you weren't enjoying that," Johnny gave me a sincere smile.

"I really do love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too, Olivia. More than anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Aww, Johnny!" He blushed and avoided my gaze.

"So…ya feelin' alright? You have a minor concussion from all the bashing around. You got pretty beat up." He rested a cool hand on my forehead. I suddenly realized that I was really cold, but I was sweating. "You threw up a lot, too," he continued. "I think you were, like, half conscious, or something then though."

"I just have a headache now," I told him. "But I feel kinda dizzy."

"Aww, my poor baby. I'll leave ya to rest, then." He started to climb out of the hospital bed, but I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.

"No, no, no," I protested, "please stay. I miss you. I need you. You make me feel better." He lay back down next to me and threw an arm over my waist.

"Would a kiss make you feel better?" he whispered in my ear.

"Maybe," I giggled. He kissed my cheek. And then my forehead. And then my nose and my other cheek and my ear and my neck, ending with a kiss on the lips that lasted a while.

Johnny ended up on top of me on the hospital bed, and as his lips moved against mine, I felt my heart soaring. The pounding in my head was weakening, making me feel a lot better and less dizzy. I tangled my fingers into his dark, greasy hair, almost clinging onto him. I felt so much better with him next to me. Or on top of me. Either way.

And then the door to the room flew open, ruining our perfect moment.

"Hey Johnnyca—woah…" It was Ponyboy and Emily.

"That was too much for my brain to comprehend…" Emily added. "I _didn't_ just see the little, innocent Johnny Cade full-on _making out_ with the little, innocent, redhead Olivia, right?"

"You couldn't have, that's crazy talk," Ponyboy joked.

"Aw, shut up. Yeah, we were kissin', big deal," Johnny muttered, climbing off of me.

"I'm sure _you_ two kiss," I agreed. The two fourteen year-olds glanced at each other nervously. "You've never kissed? What're ya waitin' for?" They shrugged.

"So how're ya feelin', Liv?" Emily changed the subject.

"Better, thanks," I snuggled into Johnny's side, and his arm tightened around my waist.

"We were really worried about you girls," Ponyboy told me.

"Why? We can handle ourselves. We're all alive, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but you got the best of the injuries. You only have a minor concussion. Ad and C had to get blood transfusions along with the minor concussions, and C cracked a few ribs, too."

"Are they okay?" I asked, trying to sit upright, but Johnny gently pulled me back down.

"They're in stable condition. Last time we checked, neither of them were conscious, though. They should be okay in a few days," Ponyboy continued.

"I wanna go see them," I whispered.

"You gotta stay in bed, doll," Johnny replied. "We want that pretty little head of yours to get better, don't we?"

"Please, Johnny? It doesn't even hurt that much. Please, please, please?" I begged, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. You could tell he was arguing with himself on the inside, because he knew he shouldn't, but I was just _so damn adorable_.

"Fine," he sighed. "But you got ten minutes starting now, so you better get movin'."

"You can't even wait to start the clock until I get up?"

"Ten minutes. Starting now."

"Fine, fine. Lemme up then." I struggled to sit up, but he kept his arm wrapped tight around me, securing me to the bed. "Johnny!" I cried.

"Ya better hurry," he teased. "Ya only have nine minutes and forty-five seconds left!"

"Johnny!" He was laughing, and though I was pretending to be mad, so was I. He finally let me up, and I flew out of the bed so fast that I fell to the floor.

"This is why you're supposed to stay in bed," Johnny informed me, offering his hand. I took it and pulled myself up. "Nine minutes and thirty seconds."

"I'm going, I'm going!" I took Johnny's and Emily's hands, and Ponyboy was attached to Emily, too.

"Woah, where's the fire?" Johnny joked.

"I only have nine minutes!" I continued to drag them out the door.

"Nah, you can have your ten minutes back, doll." He kissed my forehead. "And I'll even give you an extra five."

"What? Why?"

"Because I love you." He pulled me into his chest and looked into my eyes. "And I didn't know if I'd ever see you again just twenty-four hours ago, and now here you are in my arms. And I'm _so _happy. I wouldn't be able to live without you, Olivia. You've showed me what it feels like to be loved, and I've _never_ felt that before in my life. Thank you so much. I'll love you forever and always."

"Love you too, Johnny. I always will." I pulled him into a tight hug, burying my face in his chest.

"Okay, you guys are adorable and all," Emily interjected, "but we really gotta get movin'."

"Yeah," her boyfriend seconded, "before one of the nurses notice she's gone."

So we went as quickly as we could to the rooms of my two best friends.

**Emily's POV**

Olivia practically dragged Ponyboy, Johnny, and I down the blue-and-white checkered hallway of the hospital.

"You know they're both unconscious, right?" I asked her as we approached Adeline's door. Olivia nodded.

"I just wanna see how bad they are," she replied nervously. I shrugged, and we entered the room. Sodapop was nearly rocking back and forth in the blue plastic chair next to Addie's bed. Adeline's eyes were closed; her dark brown hair was sprawled out on the pillow underneath her head. Her chest was rising and falling slightly. At least she was alive.

"Hey, Soda," Olivia approached him. He didn't respond. His sad blue eyes were glued to the gorgeous girl in the hospital bed.

"Sodapop," I tried, patting his shoulder gently. He flinched a little and looked up at the four of us.

"Oh. Hey, guys," he greeted glumly.

"How are ya?" Sodapop shrugged.

"Good."

"Hey, relax," Ponyboy spoke up. "Adeline'll be fine. She's a strong girl."

"I sure hope so." A tear slipped down his cheek.

"Soda, everything'll be alright, man," Johnny interjected.

"Easy for you to say," Sodapop snapped, causing Johnny to flinch. "_Your_ girl's alright. She's outta bed and running around the damn hospital. _My _girl is unconscious, and who knows when she's gonna wake up? In fact, she's lost so much blood that it's possible that she _won't _wake up. What then, huh? What then?" His voice was rising and rising until he was practically screaming at poor Johnnycake, whose eyes were dark and sad.

"C'mon, Sodapop—" Ponyboy started defensively, but he got cut off by his older brother.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that at all. I'm glad you guys are all okay. I'm just really worried about Addie, and C, too. I shouldn't have snapped on you like that."

"We understand," Johnny replied, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Just don't worry so much. Like Pony said, Adeline's strong. She'll get through this. And I know my sister is, too. If she's lived here for, like, a year and a half without getting killed, she'll survive this."

"How is she?" Sodapop asked sadly.

"Corrin?" He nodded.

"Last time _I_ checked, still unconscious," Ponyboy answered.

"Great," his brother sighed sarcastically. Tears continued to pour down his face as his eyes stayed glued to his girlfriend. He reached out and played with a strand of her long, dark brown hair.

"Both of 'em are supposed to be okay, as long as they don't do anything stupid while they're supposed to be recovering," Johnny reassured. "Just make sure Adeline doesn't get outta bed and I'm sure Dally'll keep C in bed, too." Olivia burst out laughing. I smacked her lightly in the shoulder and Sodapop cracked a smile. "Maturity, Olivia," her boyfriend wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "Control yourself."

"I'm sorry, I'm trying!"

"Do I gotta put _you_ back in bed, too?" She laughed even harder, muffling the noise in Johnny's chest as he lightly stroked her hair. Sodapop got up from the chair and smoothed Adeline's hair back gently.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"She loves you, too, y'know," I spoke up, giving Sodapop a reassuring smile.

"I hope so," he whispered, wiping his eyes. I silently found Ponyboy's hand and held it in mine, squeezing it gently. When I looked up, he was smiling at me. Olivia still had her face in Johnny's chest, and he was stroking her long hair. Sodapop continued smoothing Addie's hair back, and the room was completely silent for a minute.

"Well, we should probably get goin'," Johnny announced, breaking the silence. "I'm only giving my little sicky fifteen minutes to be outta bed and we haven't seen Dal yet."

"I'm not sick," Olivia whined, making her way out the door. "See ya later, Soda."

"Bye," Johnny chimed in.

"You gonna be home soon?" Pony asked his brother. Sodapop seated himself back in the chair and shook his head, staring back at his girlfriend again.

"Alright…see ya later then." He nodded, and Ponyboy and I left the room. We all walked into Corrin's room together, where Dally was doing a lot better than Sodapop was. He was casually sitting in the chair next to the bed, smoking a cigarette. Corrin looked worse than Addie did. Her skin was paler, and the circles under her eyes were darker.

"Hey, Dal," Johnny said quietly.

"Johnny, man, how are ya?" He looked up at the four of us. Johnny shrugged in response.

"Good. Olivia's alright."

"Cool," he grinned at the redhead. "Hey, Ponyboy. Emily," he greeted, and the two of us gave a little wave in response.

"How is she?" Olivia asked him, nodding towards my sister in the hospital bed.

"She'll be okay. S'what the doc said."

"That's good," Johnny nodded.

"Sure."

"Well, uh—how're _you_, Dal?" Ponyboy asked.

"Great," he grinned. "So, I see little Miss Olivia's up on her feet. How's Ad doin'?"

"Still out," Olivia replied. "She'll be alright, though. Sodapop's worried sick."

"He oughta be." He kicked his feet up onto the small table next to the bed. He didn't look worried at all, really. "You three are idiots, y'know that?" he addressed Olivia. She was about to interject, but Dally continued. "We told ya you guys couldn't take on those other guys, but ya went 'camping' anyway. And now you're all in the hospital." His voice was surprisingly calm. He almost seemed to not care that his girlfriend was in the hospital unconscious.

"You sure you're okay, man?" Johnny asked him.

"Positive. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Uh…nevermind. Good."

"So…you guys want anything?" Dally exhaled, blowing a puff of smoke from his lips.

"Just wanted to check on C, make sure she's alright," Pony replied.

"Eh, don't worry about 'er. She's a tough girl; she'll be okay." I swear I saw him glance over at Corrin's unconscious form and his eyes softened. It was like his brown eyes were normally clouded by his outer emotions. Cold. Anger. Hatred. But in that split second, it was like the clouds parted and the "sun" shined through, showing his inner emotions. Worry. Fear. Love. But in a blink of an eye, the sun was hidden by the clouds again. Cold. Anger. Hatred. If you blinked, you would've missed it. It had me wondering if it was just my imagination, but I really don't think it was.

"Well, Olivia's fifteen minutes are almost up, so we better get goin'," Johnny declared.

"Don't want her getting even _sicker_." Olivia rolled her hazel eyes, but said goodbye to Dally, and the rest of us followed her actions. "Well…take care, Dal," Ponyboy said finally.

"Sure thing," was his response as we filed out the door.

"At least he's not freaking out like Sodapop is," Pony whispered, and I nodded in response. Just then, I heard a slam. It was faint, and it seemed to be coming from Corrin's room. I stopped in my tracks, and Ponyboy glanced at me.

"Alright, well, you guys go take sure of Olivia…I forgot something in Corrin's room," I lied.

"Want me to go with you?" Ponyboy asked sweetly. I shook my head, because I was pretty sure I knew what that slam came from.

"No thanks, I'll be right back." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and pulled away, turning towards the direction in which we came.

"Kay, see ya soon," Olivia said, and the three walked back towards her hospital room.

I approached my sister's room again, and simply leaned in the doorway, watching what I saw. Dally was slamming his fist into the wall repeatedly, and he was crying. _Dallas Winston __was crying_. I've never even heard those words put in that order in a sentence before.

"Stupid…dammit…" he muttered under his breath.

"Dallas," I called softly from the doorway.

"Go away. Now," he growled. Something about his voice made me wanna turn around and get outta there, but I didn't. I stayed.

"Dally, c'mon. Talk to me."

"Ya barely know me, Em."

"Corrin's told me a lot about you. She really loves ya, Dal." He sighed.

"What d'ya want?"

"I want you to talk. You're gonna end up hurting yourself if you don't."

"What the hell do _you _know about me?" he laughed. It sounded almost maniacal, if you ask me.

"Dallas. Stop." He leaned back against the wall, keeping his eyes on Corrin. "You're worried about her?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No." He pulled out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

"You're not supposed to have those in a hospital," I informed him. "They're bad for the patients. And for _you_."

"Who gives a shit?" He muttered, but threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped on it, successfully putting it out.

"You clearly do." He ignored me, however, and plopped back down into chair next to the bed. He bit his lip nervously, and his eyes were showing the sun again. Worry. Fear. Love.

Except this time, the clouds stayed parted.

"What if she's not okay?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Ya gotta calm down, Dally. She'll be alright; you said so yourself." He nearly jumped outta the chair again and slammed his fist into the wall loudly. I winced.

"I'm trying to convince _myself_ as much as everyone else!" he shouted. "Jesus Christ, I told her, didn't I? I told her not to worry about those stupid robbers, and she didn't listen. She _never_ listens! And now look what she's got herself into! Dammit, I could _kill_ her! I could _kill_ her if I wasn't so worried about the possibility that I won't even _have_ to. _This_ is what I meant when I told your boyfriend to wise up the night we almost lost Johnny. You look out for yourself, and nothing can touch you. But when you have _other people_ to worry about, that's when you're weak. That's when you're vulnerable. That's when you lose."

"I think you just need a hug," I said seriously.

"Yeah, right, no thanks."

"Would you hug _her_?" I asked, motioning to Corrin.

"No."

"Yes, you would."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Yeah, you would. Lie to me all ya want."

"Good, I will."

"So you admit to lying?"

"Would you shut the hell up?"

"Fine, fine. I'll just go, then. But don't worry so much. She'll be alright."

"Whatever." I looked at him. He was seriously worried. And I didn't know Dally for all that long, but my sister _did_ tell me about him. The last time Johnny almost died, Dally nearly killed himself. Indirectly, but he did. Dally was cold, tough, and mean, but he did care about some things. Corrin was one of them, apparently.

"Well…see ya later, then, Dal," I sighed, heading for the door.

"Wait," he said quickly, stopping me in my tracks.

"What?" I spun around to face him.

"Is she gonna be okay? The doctor said she will…but I'm worried. I care about 'er."

"We _all_ care about her. She'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Kay…thanks Em," he said hesitantly.

"No problem. See ya later. And don't do anything stupid."

"No promises," he said, cracking a smile as he glanced back at Corrin.

**Adeline's POV**

I woke up feeling like shit. Absolute and complete shit. I was in a hospital, and that's all I could tell. I had no idea why I was in the hospital. And I could also tell that the amazing Sodapop Curtis was sitting in the blue plastic chair next to the hospital bed that I was lying in. He was smiling, but his blue eyes were filled with tears.

"S-Sodapop?" My voice was raspy, but my entire mouth was dry, so I expected it.

"I'm right here, Adeline. It'll be okay," he responded, stroking my hair.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"I can't really even think right now." He chuckled.

"Well, you have a minor concussion. And your forehead had to be stitched up, too. It's kinda weird, because the stitches spell out the note, but they'll get taken out eventually. You had a blood transfusion. You probably have to stay in here for a few more days." The memories of what happened started flooding into my mind.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked weakly.

"The boys and Emily are all fine. A little beat up, but they're in good condition. Olivia and C are in the hospital, too, but they're both supposed to be okay. Olivia can probably get outta here later today, if she's lucky. You all have concussions, but nothing major. You and C both lost a lot of blood, so you both got those blood transfusion things, and C cracked a few ribs. Other than that, everyone else is okay, aside from Team Red."

"What about Nadine and Hayley? I mean…I know they're bad, but they were my best friends for a while…"

"Both fine, just a little beat up. Matt and Zack actually both broke their arm."

"What about Joel?"

"Johnny 'n I took care of him good. He'll be outta the hospital in a week, tops, and then off to jail for him."

"And Luke?"

"…Gone."

"For good?" He nodded and I felt my eyes widen. Someone died. Luke died. But he didn't really deserve anything better, if ya ask me. "Woah…how'd C take that one?"

"Last time I checked, she wasn't up yet. Hope Dally doesn't just come out and tell her. He'd put her into a panic attack before she was even fully awake yet."

"That's Corrin, alright. Panic attack describes her real well."

"I really missed you, Adeline," he whispered, tears slipping down his blue eyes. You were out for two days. I didn't even know if you were gonna live. And I was thinking…I was so happy when I found you in Room 235, but all that happiness would've been for nothin' if you didn't make it after this. And I really love you. More than Sandy. Actually, you helped me get over Sandy. I thought I wanted to marry Sandy, but she didn't feel the same way. And she had a baby with someone else, and I tried not to show it on the outside, but it was killing me. And then you came along and made it all better, and I wanna thank you for that. You helped me through it. And I want you to know that I'll help you, too. I'll always be here, whenever ya wanna talk, I've been told countless times that I'm very helpful with feelings. I've helped C with that stuff since she was a little fourteen year old when she first moved here. I help Ponyboy, Johnny, and Steve all the time. So ask one of them. I'm here for you."

"I'm here for you, too, Sodapop. And I'm glad to help. Don't cry," I wiped the tears from his cheeks with my fingertip. "I love you. Thank you for saving my life."

"Anytime." He leaned in and kissed me, and I was enjoying it, too, until we heard hoots and whistles from the doorway. Two-Bit and Steve.

"Man, you guys know exactly how to ruin the moment," Sodapop muttered, pulling away, and I giggled.

"Hey, guys, how are ya?" I asked tiredly.

"Pumped up!" Steve shouted.

"Why?" I asked confusedly.

"Cuz Olivia's gonna be let out tomorrow, and you just woke up!" Two-Bit cried, bouncing up and down like a little kid.

"Same shirt again, Two-Bit?" Sodapop laughed, looking at the boy's trademark Mickey Mouse shirt.

"C'mon, Sodapoop, you know me by now!"

"Sodapoop?" I interjected.

"New nickname we came up with," Steve laughed.

"You guys are funny," Soda smiled. "I gotta come up with something for you guys now. Uh…I'll get back to you on that."

"We missed ya, Ad!" Two-Bit changed the subject.

"Yeah, the whole two days you were out, we came in to visit Soda, since he decided to sit right in that little chair the whole time," Steve pointed to the chair next to my bed, "and little Sodapoop was crying and worrying and praying that you'd be okay…"

"That's enough, bozos," Soda interrupted, but he was smiling.

"Aww, Sodapoop," I cooed. He shot me and icy glare, but when I started laughing, so did he. I looked at the three boys in front of me and realized that I was so glad that I was friends with boys that cared about each other so much. I was so lost in this thought that I didn't notice when Steve put Sodapop in a headlock, and Two-Bit jumped on both of them, sending them crashing to the ground and falling into a little table with a flower vase on it. The vase fell to the floor, making a loud crash. The boys' eyes all widened, and they stood up immediately.

"That was not us…" Two-Bit said.

"I think that's our cue to leave…" Steve agreed. "If anyone asks, we weren't here." They started inching their way to the door, but I stopped them.

"Group hug, guys!" Two-Bit thought a second.

"Can't pass up a group hug," he shrugged, and he and Steve walked over to my bed.

"No crushing her," Sodapop commanded.

"Sir, yes sir!" Two-Bit joked, and we all hugged. Even though I was sitting in a hospital bed, I felt completely safe with the three of them.

"I love you guys," I blurted out.

"Love you, too," they chorused.

When we pulled away, Two-Bit and Steve raced out the door, desperately trying to get away from the vase that they happened to break.

"Nice, they left me to get in trouble for it," Sodapop groaned.

"Just go get 'em back!" I laughed.

"Nah, I can't leave you."

"Soda, I'll be fine. Just go." He leaned over cupped my face with his hands, kissing me for about a minute. When he pulled away, he ran out the door.

"I'll be back soon, I promise!" he shouted. I just laughed and lay back down on the bed.

**C's POV**

When I opened my eyes, I instantly shut them again. The light was so damn bright. Although my eyes were closed, I tried to figure out where I was. I was lying down, but my head was propped up by a pillow. I felt little things in my hands, almost like needles. And I heard a slow, steady beeping, almost like a heart monitor. And then I realized. I shot up into a sitting position and instantly regretted it. My head was killing me, and I felt dizzy. So I fell back down onto the pillow.

"Hey, hey, hey, take it easy. Ya can't be pullin' shit like that, C." The voice was smooth and low. And I recognized it immediately.

"Dally!" I cried, hurting my head, but I didn't care.

"Shh, stop," he smiled. "I'm glad to see ya too, kid. Thought you were dead."

"What the hell happened to me?" I asked shakily, lifting up the thin sheet of the hospital bed. Yes, I was in the hospital, and I was trying not to hyperventilate because of it. I looked pretty beat up. And I didn't feel so hot, either. "Oh god, how long have I been out? Are you okay? What about the rest of the gang? Jesus, what about Adeline and Olivia? What about Luke?"

"C, stop. One question at a time. Lemme think. You've been out three days. I'm fine, just a few bruises and scrapes. The same with everyone else, except for Adeline and Olivia. They both have minor concussions and Adeline has blood loss. Luke's dead. You have a minor concussion and blood loss, plus a few broken ribs. You had a blood…transfer thing."

"Wait, wait, wait, Luke's dead?"

"Uh, maybe I shouldn't have told you that yet…"

"Dally! He's dead! This is serious!"

"Relax. I'm not allowed to worry you while you're in here." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, and that's when I noticed that he was shaking like a leaf.

"You okay?" I asked, worry coating my voice.

"You've been in here for a while, C," he whispered. "I thought I was gonna lose you, I really did. And it scared the shit outta me."

"Aww, Dallas Winston's worried?"

"Of course I was worried, goddammit!" He ran a hand through his hair and got up from the blue plastic chair next to me. He started to pace nervously in front of the bed.

"Dal, c'mon, relax. I'm fine."

"Don't tell me you're fine. I've been hearing that shit from you for, like, a year now, and I'm sick and tired of it. Have you ever been fine? Ever?"

"Yes, Dally. Now calm down."

"Don't you understand I can't?" I thought you were dead, Corrin. As in fuckin' gone forever."

"Langua—"

"I'm not in the mood."

"Sorry." He sighed and sat back down in the chair, putting his head in his hands. "Why don't you just go back to your place and relax for a little while? Don't think about me. Go take a nap or something."

"I can't."

"Dal—"

"So how're ya feelin'?" he asked, pushing my hair out of my face. I shrugged.

"It's not too bad. I've been worse." He raised an eyebrow, and I gave in. "No, I've never been worse. And it hurts pretty badly. There, ya happy?"

"Not at all, but better than before."

"Good, I guess. So…how're Liv and Addie?"

"Adeline's a little worse, but Olivia's not too much better. You got it the worst, because of that little…" he trailed off, and I could tell he was getting mad.

"Okay, I know about me. Are Olivia and Adeline in the hospital, then?" He nodded.

"How're they doing?"

"You guys all had to get brain scans, but luckily it was nothing too major. You and Adeline both needed blood transfusions, but Olivia was okay on that. Actually, Olivia can probably get out of this joint tomorrow, if she wants. You and Ad might still need to wait a few days. Oh, you have a few cracked ribs, too."

"You actually paid attention to all this?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course I did. I was worried." He whispered the last part, and I reached up to tousle his hair. He looked ashamed of himself, and I didn't know why.

"Hey, what's botherin' ya, Dal? Besides, well, me, I mean."

"Nothing."

"I'm not that stupid. C'mon. I know you." He got up again and continued pacing back and forth, running his hand through his hair repeatedly.

"Will you calm down, Dal?" I said weakly. "I'm gonna be fine. Stop worryin'." He heaved a sigh and sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"I…I gotta tell ya something, Corrin."

"You can tell me anything," I gave him a bright smile.

"But…it's a secret. Well…it's not really a secret. Well…part of it is."

"Just tell me, Dallas."

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Promise," I whispered tiredly. He took a deep breath.

"I love you." I was about to interrupt, but he continued after a quick pause. "That's not really the secret. That's obvious. But the secret is that I was scared. Scared to tell you that I loved you. I didn't know if you felt the same way. I'm scared now, too. What if the only girl I ever loved is gonna leave me forever? You can't leave me, Corrin, and I swear, if you do, I'm leaving, too. I can't live without you and it's crazy. It's crazy because I'm Dallas Winston. I'm not supposed to care about people. That's how you don't get hurt. That's how you keep yourself safe. But I can't help caring about people sometimes, and you're one of those people. I gotta keep my reputation up, anyway, though. I gotta keep acting like I don't give a shit about anyone, even if that's the complete opposite. I'm just…scared."

"Aww…Dally…I wanna hug you so bad right now…" He smiled nervously and took my hand in his. "Don't be scared. I love you, too. I've been trying to deny it, because I thought you'd never like someone like me…but I can't deny it." I was getting tired from just talking, and he sensed that.

"Okay, just rest. We'll talk when you're better," he said, placing my hand back on the bed.

"No, no, no," I protested, reaching for his hand again and he gave it back to me, "lemme finish."

"Don't hurt yourself," he warned.

"I know you care about people, Dally. I can see it in your eyes. And you're right. You're Dallas Winston. A human being. You are not a robot. You're gonna have human feelings, just like everyone else does. And I know you don't like feeling like that. I know you like to feel tough, like you don't care. But you don't have to feel like that. You can love. You can be loved. And I promise, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here. I'll always listen to you, and I'll always try to help you. I love you, Dallas Winston." A smile broke out on his face, but I started to sit up, and it faded.

"Don't sit up, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

"Shut up," I laughed, and pressed my lips to his gently.

* * *

_**Awwww...stay tuned for the epilogue, guys!**_


	33. Epilogue

**_(Epilogue, guys. Duh duh duh...kidding. But I just wanted to say thank you so much for reading this story! I can't believe I got over 100 reviews and the feedback was amazing! I can't thank you enough. I just posted the first chapter of the sequel, too, so go read it! Thank you!)_**

**Epilogue**

**C's POV**

"Glory, C, slow down," Dally muttered, clearly in no hurry to catch up with me as I walked home from school that day.

"You hurry up, then! I'm excited!"

"What the hell're ya so excited for? It's just the Curtises. You see 'em every day."

"But I haven't been to their house to see _all _of them at _once_ in almost three weeks! I've had to stay in bed the whole time!"

"You've been injured." He took a drag of his cigarette.

"But I'm not anymore!" I sang out, spinning around in a circle and nearly falling to the sidewalk. Dally quickly reached out and steadied me before I fell.

"Yeah, yeah, just get movin' before you end up hurtin' yourself again."

"Well, someone's grumpy today." Instead of responding, he simply blew a puff of smoke out of his mouth. I continued to happily dance down the sidewalk, casting side glances at my boyfriend every few seconds.

"What?" he snapped after a few minutes.

"Smile, Dally."

"What?"

"You heard me. Smile. Like this!" I flashed him a bright smile, and he chuckled.

"Nah, no thanks. Just yours is good enough. Now hurry up, I don't got all day."

"Yeah, ya do. And _you're _the one walking slow." He playfully put me into a headlock, and we laughed. As we kept walking, we ran into a red mustang, but luckily all it did was open the window and the Socs inside shouted "greaser" a few times. At least, until Dal threw a rock at it and they drove away after that.

"Dammit, some of those Socs are gonna get their heads kicked in some day," he muttered, throwing the rest of his cigarette behind him somewhere.

"Don't do anything that'll get ya thrown in jail again, Dallas," I warned.

"No promises, kid," he smiled a dangerous smile and slung an arm lazily over my shoulder.

"I'm not really a kid. I'm gonna be sixteen in a few months," I replied, shrugging away from him jokingly.

"You're younger than me. You'll always be a kid to me." He tousled my hair and draped his arm back around my shoulders, and this time, I left it there.

Finally, we turned into the Curtis' small driveway, and I was almost bouncing up and down with excitement. The only thing keeping my feet from lifting off the ground was Dally's arm around my shoulders, keeping me attached to the ground.

"Jesus," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He was joking, though, and we both knew it.

We walked through the front door of the Curtis house at last, and something flew into me the second I stepped through the doorframe. Arms wrapped around me tightly, squeezing me to death.

"God, Adeline," I laughed when I saw the long, dark brown hair. "How're ya feelin'?"

"A lot better," she responded, releasing me and nearly flying back over to plop down on Sodapop's lap.

"Good." I looked around the living room, where the whole entire Curtis gang was gathered. Sodapop was on the couch with Adeline in his lap, and Johnny was next to him with Olivia in _his_ lap. Ponyboy and Emily were sitting on the floor in front of the couch they were on. Steve was sitting on the arm of the couch next to Soda. Two-Bit was next to Johnny on the _other _arm. Darry and Helena's arms were linked together on the floor, too. Dally was leaning against the wall behind me with his arms crossed over his chest.

Everyone was here. All people that I'd been worried about for the past four weeks, probably more, were all gathered in one place, together, and safe.

"How's everyone doin'?" I asked the room.

"We're all good," Two-Bit replied. "How're _you_ feeling?"

"Better," I shrugged. Olivia hopped off of Johnny and ran up to me, engulfing me in a tight hug. I winced slightly as I felt a sharp pain in my ribs, but I took a deep breath and sucked it up. When we pulled apart from the hug, I was smiling.

"There's chocolate cake in the kitchen, guys," Darry announced. Two-Bit and Steve jumped up at the word "chocolate" and ran into the kitchen, where a big cake was sitting on the table. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't have any, but everyone else had a piece, although the girls had much smaller pieces than most of the boys did. The whole time people were eating, the room was filled with conversation.

Steve and Two-Bit were arguing over who could pick up the most girls, and Steve dragged me into it after he saw me silently listening.

"C, you're a girl," he explained. "Tell Two-Bit here that's he's wrong."

"Exactly. She's a _girl_. C, explain to our dear Steve why he's terribly mistaken."

"Why d'ya guys gotta drag _me_ into this?" I whined.

"Cuz you're a girl," Two answered.

"So're Ad, Olivia, Emily and Helena. Ask one of them."

"But you've known us longer. So we're askin' you," Steve replied.

"Steve, she's obviously stalling because she doesn't wanna hurt your feelings."

"No, sir, it's the other way around, Two."

"Guys—" I interjected, but got cut off.

"How many girlfriends have you had?" Two-Bit challenged.

"Guys—"

"Two," he admitted. "Well, what about you?"

"Guys—"

"Six," Two-Bit replied smugly.

"Guys! Stop!" They both looked at me. "Two-Bit, don't you only date blondes?" He nodded, shrugging. "Steve dates 'em all," I sang.

"Ha!" Steve shouted, doing a little victory dance.

"C, c'mon," Two-Bit pouted. "I thought we were best friends."

"We are," I replied."

"What?" Steve cried incredulously. "I thought _we_ were best friends, C!"

"You guys are _all_ my best friends."

"Yay! Group hug!" Two-Bit squealed like a five year old. I laughed as he pulled Steve and I into a hug with him. When Two-Bit pulled away, though, Steve hung onto me for a few more seconds.

"I missed ya, C," he whispered. "We all did."

"I missed ya, too, Stevie," I laughed, pulling away from him and playfully flicking his head.

"I hate being called that." He glared at me.

"I know," I shot him a smug smile.

"Better not be hittin' on my girl over here, Randle." A pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

"He wasn't, Dallas," I assured him.

"Nope, not at all," Steve added. "I was just telling your girlfriend here about how you was cryin' your eyes out the whole time she was gone." I laughed, but Dally didn't think it was so funny. He tackled Steve to the ground. I could tell he was just playing around though, so I let them have their fun.

"Corrin!" Someone lightly tugged on my hair.

"What, Emily?" My sister was standing next to me.

"What color are Ponyboy's eyes?" she dragged her boyfriend in front of me, and with one glance, I knew.

"Green."

"They are _not!_" he shouted. "They're gray!"

"Pony, they're clearly green," I counted, laughing a little at his outburst.

"No, they're not. I don't like green eyes. They can't be green."

"You're lucky. I've _always_ wanted green eyes. And," I leaned in to whisper so Emily couldn't hear, "Emily _loves_ green eyes."

"Really?" His eyes widened. I nodded. "Okay," he smiled. "My eyes are green, then!" Emily smiled back at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.

"How can you even say they're gray?" she asked him. "They're such a pretty green." Pony smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You guys are so cute together," I commented. Ponyboy stuck out his tongue.

"I know. We missed ya, y'know, C."

"I missed you guys, too," I giggled.

"Thanks, C," Emily said, giving me a high-five. That was the first time she called me C.

After a few seconds, Emily and Ponyboy walked off with their arms wrapped around each other. Then something flew into me, and I instantly knew it was Adeline again. She gave me a huge hug, succeeding in hurting my ribs again, but I was too happy to care.

"Hey, Ad," I greeted, hugging her back.

"Hey!" She threw her hair over her shoulder.

"How're ya feeling?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Not too bad. You?"

"Same," I shrugged.

"So…um…you heard about Luke, right?" My stomach knotted up.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "I feel really bad about it."

"Why? He's the cause of all this."

"But he's only seventeen. He really didn't deserve to _die_."

"Either that or rot in jail for the rest of his life," she shrugged. I nodded, thinking about it a little more. He didn't actually hurt any of the guys, thankfully, and Olivia, Ad, and I all ended up okay. But he could've easily killed any one of them. And if he did that…I don't even wanna think about it. I'd see to it _myself_ that he didn't live to see another day. My thoughts were interrupted by a little squeal of laughter, and I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"You're so pretty," Sodapop was now in front of me, and he had Adeline in his arms bridal style. Adeline giggled and pressed her lips to his gently. They were seriously melting into each other, and the kiss heated up more and more.

"Well, you guys have fun," I said awkwardly, backing away.

"Oh, well will, trust me," Sodapop grinned. I gave him a small smile back and ran to the other side of the room.

"Hey, C," I spun around to see Olivia sitting on the couch behind me. Johnny was next to her.

"Oh, hi." She patted the couch on the other side of her and I sat down.

"How are ya?" Johnny asked. I gave him the same response I gave Adeline.

"Hey, Liv, I saw how you pretended to be on Team Red," I laughed. "I got scared for a sec, but I have to admit, it was a pretty good idea."

"Really? Everyone else yelled at me for it," she said, jokingly glaring at Johnny.

"I just thought it'd be easy for you to get hurt, that's all. It wasn't the best idea."

"It worked, didn't it?" she countered, and Johnny sighed in defeat.

"Whatever." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder. "How's it goin' with Dal?" he asked me.

"What d'ya mean?"

"You know what he means," Olivia giggled.

"He's amazing," I gushed. "It's going really good."

"Good. You guys look really cute together, y'know."

"Eh, it's just him," I responded, and Olivia smacked me lightly. I laughed.

"How's Johlivia going?" I asked them, a smile creeping on my face. They both blushed and turned bright red.

"Great," Olivia said quickly.

"Awesome," Johnny added.

"Good!" I laughed, clapping my hands. "_You _guys are really cute together."

"Eh, it's just her," Johnny said at the same time as Olivia said, "Eh, it's just him."

"Aww, that was adorable!" I cried, and they blushed even redder.

"Well, Adeline says that Nadine and Hayley are in jail," Johnny hastily changed the subject.

"Brianna, too," his girlfriend added.

"At least nobody got hurt too bad," I shrugged.

"Yup, Johnny nodded. He leaned in a whispered something to Olivia, who giggled and blushed, kissing his cheek.

"Well, I can see you guys are in need of some time alone," I said, standing up from the couch. I don't even think they heard me. They were clinging onto each other like their life depended on it.

"Guys! Look!" Steve shouted, pointing across the room towards Darry and Helena, who were kissing. Darry was finally able to have a love life. I was _so_ happy for him. It's sad seeing Darry stressed out all the time, especially when he gave up so much for the whole gang.

"Steve," I scolded softly, hitting his shoulder.

"What?" Darry and Helena pulled apart abruptly, their faces bright red.

"No, no, no, keep going!" I said quickly. "I'll cover my eyes! And Steve will, too!" I slapped a hand over my face, and when Steve didn't do the same, I used my other hand to cover his eyes, too.

"Nah, it's alright, C. Thanks, though." Darry smiled a bright smile, his blue eyes shining. And he kissed Helena again, and everyone awed. I saw Ponyboy's face light up. I could tell he was truly happy that his older brother was happy.

As I looked around the room, I noticed that almost everyone else was kissing, too. Sodapop and Adeline were, and so were Johnny and Olivia. Ponyboy and Emily were holding hands, but they were awkwardly sitting on the couch staring at everyone else. Two-Bit was just lounging on the couch with a bottle of beer, and Steve was lying on the ground, tired out from wrestling Dally. So where was Dally?

"Peekaboo," Dally's smooth voice was in my ear in his strong arms were around my waist from behind me.

"Hey, you," I whispered, smiling.

"So…uh…everyone _else_ is kissing, so I thought…" I giggled and spun around in his arms, pressing my lips to his. His arms tightened around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Aww…" I heard suddenly. Two-Bit and Steve. I quickly pulled away from Dally, my face heating up, but Dally pulled me back.

"Just ignore 'em, babe," he whispered against my lips before continuing to kiss me. My lips curved into a smile and I felt his lips do the same against mine.

"Oh, thanks guys, way to make _us _feel left out," Two-Bit complained. I managed to pull away from the kiss long enough to see that Ponyboy and Emily were having their first kiss, too. About time. It's been over a month of dating. But their faces were even redder than Darry and Helena's.

As I looked around, I saw every member of the gang. Steve. Two-Bit. Darry. Helena. Sodapop. Adeline. Johnny. Olivia. Ponyboy. Emily. Dally. God, I love Dally. And I thought about something. We greasers have been through a lot. We have constant problems because of our social and economic status. But y'know something? I don't care. I love the fact that we have each other's backs, and when we're down, we always have someone to hold us up and help us realize that it's _okay_ to be a greaser. As long as we have each other, we've got everything.

The gang and I have been through a lot of stuff, both good and bad. But we're all alive. We're all okay, and we're all together, and that's what counts the most.

"My lips are lonely again, C," Dally sighed, and I smiled, kissing him passionately.

**_The End_**


	34. Check Out the Sequel!

Hey guys! I know I'm not really supposed to do this author's note thing, but too bad. Okay, so I tried copying and pasting a link here, but it didn't work. So if you wanna read the sequel, just click my username and find the story! It's called **Haunted_._**I hope you like it! Thank you so much!


End file.
